In a Parallel World
by author12306
Summary: Kaitlyn Braken, a 14 year old alchemist from Germany, is sick of the calm environment of Resembool. When she runs away from the Rockbell's house to become a State Alchemist she will make new friends and enemies. She'll get dragged into problems no one could imagine, and deal with Roy Mustang's cousin Redwing Mustang. How will this end? RAFO, and R
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Winry, I'm bored!" A girl, about fourteen, complained.

"Go outside, take Den for a walk, just stop bugging me and don't ruin his leg _again_!" Winry shooed the younger girl away.

"Fine," The girl grumbled, "You're boring."

"Don't get into to trouble, Kaitlyn. And don't even _think_ about trying to open the gate," Winry called after Kaitlyn.

"Come on, mutt," Kaitlyn dragged a reluctant Den outside. "I just wanna go home, why won't they let me at least _try_?" Tears threatened Kaitlyn's eyes, a few dropping from the corners of her almond shaped eyes.

"Do you even realize what it takes to open the gate?" A deep voice behind Kaitlyn startled her.

"Yes, actually, I do," She sighed once she had regained her composure.

"And you're willing to kill and transmute a human being to open the gate?" Mustang calmly walked to stand in Kaitlyn's line of vision.

"Yes, actually," Kaitlyn answered, "What are you doing here, anyways? Did you come to recruit any new State Alchemists?"

"I came to speak to Winry about something," He answered, "Do you happen to know where she is right now?"

"In the house," Kaitlyn's mood seemed to drop. She stood and walked in the opposite direction, to sit at the river bank. Her right leg suddenly locked up a little and she tapped her leg, just below the knee, and continued normally down the hill. Upon caching the bank, she picked up a rock and tossed it into the water, disturbing it and the ducks swimming on it. With a long sigh she sat down and watched the rippled on the water slowly fade. When Den yelped and jumped away from the water Kaitlyn chuckled, "Stupid dog, Crawfish hurt you," She grabbed the crawfish off Den's nose and watched as he followed it in her hand closely until she dropped it into the murky water. "Crazy mutt," The words accompanied her as she sat down on the river bank. Soft grass tickled her flesh ankle as the leg of her pants slipped past her boots and let the grass tickle her ankle. She turned her face to the setting sun, it slid down the sky, a blazing ball of color and fire. "I miss home," She sighed to Den, "And I'm talking to a dog," She added sadly. She looked at Den, who was chasing a moth, before returning her gaze to the colorful sky. Clouds were set to color by the setting sun's light and pushed by the light breeze. To pass the time she started to put names to the different types of clouds, but soon grew bored again. "I wonder why Mustang came _all_ this way, what could be that important?" Kaitlyn didn't even realize she was talking to Den this time. Suddenly shouting erupted from the house and Kaitlyn decided to check it out.

"Mustang, don't try and drag her into this world's problems!" Pinako shouted, throwing quiet an array of hard objects at him.

"She's stuck in this world now, she might as well leave her mark," Mustang calmly dodged the various tools and auto mail parts that were thrown at him.

"Mustang, leave. I don't want her getting into as much trouble as Ed and Al did after Ed became a State Alchemist,I promised them I'd protect Kaitlyn," Winry calmly said, but the calm masked a dangerous tone saying "If you don't leave, I will murder you with a wrench."

"Why won't you just let me make my own decisions?" Kaitlyn walked, unnoticed, to stand beside Mustang.

"Because I know you'd make the wrong choice," Winry pointed out, "Don't become a State Alchemist, a dog of the military."

"If I did, I'd have a better chance of finding a way home, and I might be able to bring Ed and Al back," Kaitlyn said harshly.

"Kaitlyn, go to your room," Winry growled.

"No," Kaitlyn said simply, crossing her arms. A stubborn glint entered her blue-grey eyes. This was a very bad move on her part.

"Go to your room now, Kaitlyn!" Winry commanded while whacking her over the head with a wrench.

* * *

A/N: This is my first FMA fanfic and my first fanfic on , It's probably not going to be the best you've read, but please try to stay with me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kaitlyn squealed as she fled upstairs from the wrench.

_I hate when she does that,_ Kaitlyn thought as she rubbed the sore lump forming on her head. She plopped down on the floor next to her door and gently slid it open just enough to hear the conversation down the stairs.

"She won't survive another trip through the gate," Winry's voice was strangled with the effort to keep her voice quiet, even though anger and fear pulsed through her.

"Winry, we both know she'll do something stupid if you keep her here much longer. She wants to find a way to help this world, and this is her chance. Kaitlyn doesn't want to end up here and never leave her mark on this world, let her at least leave Resembool for awhile. And giving her something to do will keep her mind off of her home," Mustang seemed slightly agitated by Winry's stubborn protests.

"Ed and Al made me promise to keep her safe before they went back through, that's the last thing they asked of me and I won't fail," Winry was fuming at Mustang's refusal to leave.

"She'll be fine, no one would be stupid enough to give her the materials needed to open the gate," Mustang now seemed annoyed as well.

"They knew I was here before they went through, they knew I was in this world," Kaitlyn realized as a sick feeling of betrayal rushed through her. _Why didn't Winry tell me before? Why did they leave me? Why did they make Winry promise to protect me?_ Thoughts raced through Kaitlyn's mind too quickly to keep track of. She shut the door, not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation. Brushing her fingers against her automail she let her head fall against the door with a tremendous thud and stared at the ceiling, the fan twirling lazily on a night breeze pushing its way through the curtains. Once her thoughts steadied shock set in, tears slipped down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop them for once.

* * *

"They _knew_ I was here before they went back through the gate, they left me!" Kaitlyn shouted in pure anger, disturbing the quiet calm of dinner.

"What do you mean, Kaitlyn?" Winry tried to mask the nervous look on her face with kindness.

"Edward and Alphonse knew I was here before they went back through the gate, and they left me!" Kaitlyn trembled with rage.

Swallowing hard, Winry nervously sighed before saying, "You would have died if they took you back, you were bleeding a lot. I-I lied to you because I was afraid you wouldn't understand," Winry's voice was soft, like that of one speaking to a scared or lost child who was having a tantrum.

"Of course I wouldn't understand! I'm not bright enough!" Kaitlyn's voice grew high pitched in hysteria. She stood and ran for the stairs.

"Kaitlyn, wait!" Winry called after her, ready to chase after her..

"She needs time alone, Winry. Just leave her be for a bit," Pinako advised.

* * *

"I'm not bright enough to understand," Kaitlyn seethed, her mind finally exhausted from her discoveries. She irritably walked over to her desk, tipped a pile of books, and picked up a leather bound notebook. "You don't think I'm dull, do you Bryan?" Kaitlyn asked while rubbing the notebook on her cheek. She sat down, looking at the various blank pages. _Empty,_ she thought. She wanted to do so much, but how could she when Winry kept her confined to Resembool? She could learn so much and help others, make discoveries, save lives, she knew she had the potential.

"Kaitlyn, please come down stairs," Winry begged.

"Fine," Kaitlyn sighed as she tucked the book under her arm and closed the door before descending the stairs.

"Please don't think you're dull because I said you wouldn't get it, you just wouldn't understand," Winry gave Kaitlyn a sad look.

"You know, I do understand why, but that doesn't make it any easier to take. Knowing I was so close to my home, I want to go home so much it hurts," Kaitlyn sighed, too exhausted to argue much anymore. "They left me because they didn't want to cause anymore death or destruction." Kaitlyn sighed, her mind filling with the pain, confusion, fear, everything seemed so fresh in her mind. The memory of discovering her leg missing, and getting automail. It had been hard, but she had gotten automail and recovered in half a year. The thought of the pain made her feel dizzy and weak.

"Are you okay?" Winry put a hand on Kaitlyn's shoulder to steady her.

"Fine, just thinking," Kaitlyn shook her head and sat down. Kaitlyn could bring out a nicer or more terrifying side of anyone, with Winry and Pinako, though they scared her most of the time, she brought out a kinder side. Kaitlyn could probably even get Ed to show a sweeter side because people wanted to take care of her. There was a loud crack of thunder that shook the house, and a storm started rather suddenly outside. The ground started to tremble, it was like there was an earthquake. Outside there was the light of a transmutation. The ground shook so hard that it toppled Kaitlyn out of her chair and to the floor. Suddenly the quake stopped, with no aftershocks. "What was that?" Kaitlyn asked as she stood back up.

"This is just like what happened in Liore!" Winry exclaimed hoarsely.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! I hope everyone enjoys this, and if your reading it, I thank you for your time and effort.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Winry rushed towards the window and looked out into the sheets of rain. trying to see anything in the storm.

"Kaitlyn, come here," Winry said, stunned.

Kaitlyn stood and walked over, leaning against the window sill next to Winry. "That dragon, it was used to open the gate in my world!" She exclaimed, wide eyed as she watched the serpent like dragon twist through the air. The dragon crashed onto the grass in front of the automail shop and changed into a teenage boy, about fifteen, with green hair spiked out to his hips and a midriff sleeveless top and an odd mix of a mini-skirt and shorts. The young man was missing his left arm, and blood gushed from his mangled shoulder. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem for a homunculus, but Envy had lost his regenerative and shapeshifting abilities as he passed through the gate twice.

"That's Envy," Winry trembled from head to toe.

"Winry, look at his arm," Kaitlyn tugged on Winry's sleeve as she whispered hoarsely into her ear.

"His arm is fine," Winry said, not seeing that his left arm gone.

"His other arm!" Kaitlyn shrieked.

"It's gone," Winry finally noticed.

"We need to help him," Kaitlyn said.

"No! He's the one who killed Edward and caused Alphonse to use human transmutation, and then ended up getting Ed trapped in Earth!" Winry was sickened at the thought of helping Envy.

"I don't have any reason not to help him," Kaitlyn said, moving towards the door.

"I will personally murder you if you step out of that door," Winry narrowed her eyes, only half exaggerating.

"I don't care, I can't watch another living being suffer like that," Kaitlyn didn't show any signs of fear. She opened the door and headed out into the sheets of pouring rain. Her hair was immediately soaked to the point of sticking ragged and heavy to her neck, and her clothes hung from her body, clinging to her skin in some places. She was soaked to the bones and shivering but she continues across the sodden grass. The rain was coming down so hard it was hard to see, and rain dripped from her eye lashes, making her vision blurry and disorienting. She finally made it to Envy, and saw how much blood there was. Kaitlyn was used to seeing blood, but normally she saw animal blood, considering the fact her mother had been a veterinarian and asked her to help out a lot. The sight of human blood made Kaitlyn's knees weak and her thoughts spin, but she forced herself to not fall apart or flip out. She took a shaky breath before kneeling next to Envy, who tried to lash out in fear at her but only succeeded in falling flat on his face. "Is your name Envy?" She asked in a soothing voice. Envy didn't respond other than hard breathing.

"Pain, I haven't felt this much pain in over four hundred years," He growled through clenched teeth as Kaitlyn gently looked at his shoulder. He tried to pull away, but Kaitlyn wouldn't let go of his shoulder. She took another deep breath to keep her mind steady before she gently helped Envy to his feet.

"Can you walk to that house?" She asked gently, again there was no response from Envy, just another attempt to escape. Kaitlyn managed to get to the porch before her knees dropped out from under her at the sigh of all the blood. Again she wondered how this could affect her so much and animal blood could affect her so little. Kaitlyn soon stood again and helped Envy inside, she ignored Winry's angry shouts and attempts to hit her over the head with a wrench, and took Envy up the stairs to her room. She ran and got some bandaged and soon had his shoulder cleaned and bandaged. Blood covered Kaitlyn's wispy green button up shirt and white camisole.

"Kaitlyn, get Envy out of this house, now!" Winry fumed, pointing towards the door until she saw Kaitlyn and her expression softened.

"I'm sorry, Winry. But I just can't leave him to die," Kaitlyn sighed, sitting down in a chair and laying her head back against the chair. Winry was speechless from Kaitlyn's actions, normally she would have fought hard to argue, but she just crumpled into apology. Winry was starting to worry if the rain had made Kaitlyn sick, but she realized she was exhausted, but there was something else she couldn't pinpoint.

"Kaitlyn-" Winry stopped talking when she noticed Kaitlyn was fast asleep. She just shrugged and walked off to her room, decided if she should kill Envy while Kaitlyn was sleeping.

* * *

Kaitlyn sleepily stretched, shifting the pillows in the corner she had began sleeping in. She looked around her room and saw Envy's bed was empty.

"Again?!" Kaitlyn growled, standing up and pulling a jacket on over her pajamas and running down the stairs and outside. Her feet carried her over the path as she followed a fresh set of footprints in the mud. Finally a slightly off balanced figure appeared on the path, Kaitlyn put extra speed in her step before sprinting after Envy. "Get your sorry butt back here, Envy!" She growled. He quickly turned to see it was her and stopped abruptly, fearing a slap in the face with Bryan the notebook. "I've told you so many times, stop running off like that unless you want to open up your wound and bleed to death!" Kaitlyn gave him a solid slap across the face with Bryan before grabbing his right arm and dragging him back to the automail shop. She was muttering under breath. "Envy, I swear, if I woke Winry up because of you, or if you woke Winry up I'll murder, she's gonna kill me, why am I still putting up with this?" Kaitlyn was half talking to herself and half talking to Envy. Her eyes showed how early she was up, and her short hair was a mess.

"Ow, let me go you-" Envy was cut off by Kaitlyn.

"Cuss and I'll slap you with Bryan until I've broken your jaw," Kaitlyn inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. "And don't wake me up until ten or I'll break your nose," Kaitlyn smiled all to sweetly before settling back into her makeshift nest in the corner. She tugged her blanket over her head and rolled over to face the wall before curling into a ball and falling asleep.

* * *

"You wake her up," Envy growled as Winry finally told him to wake Kaitlyn up.

"No, I'm not the one who woke her up before seven and caused this, now wake her up or I'll crack your skull with a wrench," Winry pursed her lips in agitation.

"Fine," Envy groaned before he went over to Kaitlyn and tapped her with his foot. She didn't move. He pulled her blanket off of her. She didn't move. He kicked her. She didn't move. He tugged her pillows out from under her head, sending her to the cold floor. She immediately woke up and commenced to chase Envy with Bryan, ready to slap him. Envy quickly ran out of breath. "And... to think... you're the one... who got mad at me for over working my body this morning," Envy panted, pressing his hand to his chest to feel his pulse.

"Never wake me up," Kaitlyn growled, her eyes tired and annoyed. It had only been a month since Envy had been found and he was already causing this much trouble. Winry stood against the door frame laughing her head off. After Envy screamed like a girl a few more times everything was calm, as calm as it could be when two rivals were in the same room. With Envy and Winry now arguing bitterly, Kaitlyn shooed them out of her room so she could change into clean clothes. She quickly took of her white camisole and put on a thin, long sleeved greenish blue v-neck shirt and pulled on a thick, heavy grey jacket that brushed the back of her legs just below the knees. She quickly pulled on a long pair of tight fitted black pants and rushed down stairs. "Winry, you told me to go to the market today, what all do we need?" Kaitlyn asked as she slid down the hall on wool socked feet.

"Here's the list," Winry handed Kaitlyn a small sheet of paper.

"Thank you," Kaitlyn panted as she slid to the door and pulled on her unlaced boots. She jerked the door open and ran out to the path going down from the house to the main dirt road. She jogged down the path all the way to the closest thing to civilization Resembool had to offer, the market.

"Hello, Kaitlyn," One stand owner smiled as Kaitlyn waved and ran by, going to the small fruit stand they set up in the late summer and early fall.

"Nice to see you, Kait," The owner of the stand smiled, "What do you need today?"

"Ten peaches, twelve apples, and four oranges," Kaitlyn read off the fruits on the list. She took the surprising amount of fruit and went to the small butcher's shop.

"Nice to see you Kaitlyn, is that boy you found causing you any trouble?" The large man's voice rumbled from his large chest.

"Nice to see you too, and no he's not," Kaitlyn chuckled, the story of how she had risked Winry's wrath to help a young man who had lost his arm had spread through Resembool quite quickly and had everyone asking about the young man.

"What can I get you today?" The owner asked kindly.

"Three T-bone steaks," Kaitlyn read off the list, her eyes bugging in astonishment. The man wrapped up the meat and handed it to Kaitlyn. She was now struggling to keep from dropping the two baskets of fruit and package of meat. Her small money pouch jingles at her waist as she tried to keep everything steady. She came to the last place, the bakery.

"Hello," The baker smiled, wrinkles creasing her kind, tanned face.

"Hi, um, I need one loaf of white bread," Kaitlyn read off the list, once she had gotten it she headed home. "Waste all the money I have," Kaitlyn grumbled as she took all of the stuff back to the automail shop. Kaitlyn had been so thrown off by what she was getting that she didn't realize it was many of her favorite food or ingredients for them. On the way back she also remembered to stop by a neighboring farm to buy eggs and milk as Winry had asked her to do the night before. Now she was barely able to walk and she was relieved to see the roof of the shop appear. Once she got to the door she managed to knock and waited for Winry to open the door. After a great deal of commotion Winry opened the door halfway and stuck her head out.

"I forgot to ask you to go check on Eric to see if he needs to come in to get his automail tuned-up!" Winry exclaimed.

"I'll go, but can I set this stuff down now?" Kaitlyn panted, her knees trembling.

"Of course," Winry slipped out of the house and helped Kaitlyn set the heavy load of stuff down. Soon Kaitlyn was heading to the house of one of Winry's patients, he was a kind young man named Eric, and he had the best manners imaginable. She always got excited to go check up on him, and if need be bring him in for maintenance if need be, because he often forgot to go and get it checked on every month.

"Hey Kaitlyn!" Eric shouted as he zoomed by down the hill in a wheelbarrow.

"Hey Eric!" She waved as she waited for him to push the wheelbarrow back up the hill.

"What brings you here?" He asked kindly.

"I just came to check how your automail was doing, do you think you need to get it tuned-up at all?" Kaitlyn asked, glancing at his left arm.

"I went in last week, didn't Winry tell you?" He asked.

"No, she didn't," Kaitlyn took a deep, agitated breath. "Hey, that wheelbarrow ride looked fun, can I try?"

"Sure!" Eric laughed as he helped me in the wheelbarrow and climbed in himself, he pushed the wheelbarrow off, and the two zoomed down the hill, wind tugging at their hair. They did this for what seemed like hours, and by the time they were too tired to push the wheelbarrow back up the hill they were laughing so hard their sides hurt.

"I probably need to get home, Winry might be getting worried," Kaitlyn finally managed to catch her breath.

"See ya later," Eric waved as Kaitlyn walked along the road back home. She soon got home, and tried to open the door. It was locked. She knocked.

"Hey Kaitlyn," Winry smiled as she opened the door, all the way this time. She left Kaitlyn to follow inside and shut the door. "Dinner's almost ready, why don't you go take a shower." Winry suggested.

"Okay," Kaitlyn shrugged and headed up to her room to get a clean change of clothes and take a shower. She started the shower and locked the door, as she waited for the water to warm up she took off her clothes and soon the water was warm enough that it wouldn't freeze her. After her shower she quickly dried her automail leg off before drying the rest of her body. She pulled on her new change of clothes, and went down stairs, her hair still dripping against her back. When she got down to the kitchen the table was loaded with food, each spot (except Envy's) had a juicy stake, and there was an apple pie and a peach pie in the middle of the table.

"Happy birthday!" Winry and Pinako exclaimed, Envy glared at the wall and stayed silent until Winry whacked him with a wrench and he rather unenthusiastically joined in.

"This.." Kaitlyn squeaked, her voice quiet and hard to hear. "Is so wonderful!" Tears filled Kaitlyn's eyes and she ran over and hugged Winry.

"Ugh, gushy human emotions," Envy sneered.

"Thanks guys, this is the best thing that's happened to me since I was brought to this world," Kaitlyn squeaked, pressing her face against Winry's shoulder. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She repeated herself.

"Come on, lets eat!" Winry smiled as they all sat down. The meal was full of laughter and stories of Kaitlyn's home.

"My mother was a farm and house call veterinarian and my father was a teacher. Life was pretty good for us, until the war started, but we made it through," Kaitlyn smiled, her mind on her home.

* * *

"Goodnight, Winry, thank you," Kaitlyn smiled sleepily as she went to go upstairs. Unlike most people her age, Kaitlyn wasn't afraid to act a little bit like a little kid at times. As she settled into her nest in the corner, her mind settled, her thoughts calm for one night. One happy tear slid down her face as she mouthed the words "Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Kaitlyn, it's morning," Envy gently nudged her in the ribs with his toes.

"Five more minutes," She mumbled sleepily into her pillow, Envy knelt down beside her and shook her by the shoulder. She muttered something unintelligible and rolled over.

"I _will_ wake you up in five minutes," He sighed as he stood and went downstairs to get some breakfast. Kaitlyn was up before that, and down stairs in two minutes to get food.

"Good morning mister pessimistic," She smiled.

"I thought you were the pessimist, I'm just bored," Envy muttered as he shoveled oatmeal into his mouth.

"I guess you're right, but you seem rather pessimistic today," Kaitlyn smiled as she got a bowl of oatmeal and sat down. She ate slowly and took her time, knowing it would be a slow day around. She yawned and walked to the work room to ask Winry if anything needed to be done. Nothing did, and she knew it would be another boring day. She went to her room, where there was a small collection of books on alchemy. She found a simple beginner's book and began to read it. This was the day she would try alchemy. After searching for a piece of chalk, she had finally found one. She went out onto the front path and drew a transmutation circle in the dirt. She clapped her hands and pressed them against the dirt, changing it into the shape of a bird. She smiled in accomplishment. A thought suddenly hit her, she had seen the gate, maybe she didn't need a transmutation circle. She clapped her hands and pressed them against the dirt to form a small rock made from all of the tiny pieces of eroded rock that formed the dirt. She picked up the smooth black stone with white speckles and put it in her pocket. A thought kept bugging her. _I need to get out of here, I'm getting so tired of doing nothing!_ She was going to run away, maybe bring Envy along. Funny thing with Envy was, his arm had regenerated after a month. She would leave that night, and if Envy wanted to come with her she would take him.

"Kaitlyn, I thought you would run away first chance you got after Mustang offered you the chance to become a State Alchemist, thank you for staying," Winry thanked her that night at dinner. Guilt twisted and knotted her gut. She smiled weakly.

"You're welcome," She faked happiness, but she felt sick for what she was going to do. That night, she called Mustang's office and informed his assistant Riza Hawkeye that she was taking the next train to Central so she could take the exams. Her mind flashed to when just Before Mustang left he told her that if she were going to come and take the exam, she could call so he could get her on the list of approved people taking the exams.

* * *

"Envy, get up!" Kaitlyn hissed in Envy's ear, her breath hot on his ear.

"What do you want?" He growled.

"I'm running away, are you gonna come?" She asked, her eyes guilty and sad. She slung her over stuffed backpack over her shoulder and walked to the door. Envy followed close behind her as they left the house silently. Kaitlyn used her remaining savings to buy two tickets for Central, and they were on the soonest train. Kaitlyn quickly fell asleep with her cheek pressed against the glass window, and her feet tucked under her. Envy fell asleep, but soon the turning of the train threw him off of the bench and he fell asleep in the isle. Both where awakened when the train jerked to a halt and tossed Kaitlyn face first onto the seat across from her and tossed Envy into the wall. Kaitlyn looked out of the window and saw it was the Central station. She stood up to get her backpack of of the luggage rack only to realize her backpack was now on Envy's back, and Envy was flailing trying to get it off. One would be surprised at just how heavy the waterproof brown messenger bag could be. Kaitlyn picked up her bag, releasing Envy.

"One question, what the-"

"Cuss and I'll kill you,"

"Heck did you put in that backpack?" Envy growled as he stood up and got his backpack.

"Uh, lets see, a brick, some clothes, Bryan, and-"

"Meow,"

"A kitten," Kaitlyn smiled as she picked up a large grey kitten with leopard spots and a pale grey underbelly. Envy facepalmed and sighed as Kaitlyn made cute noises at the kitten and it tried to claw Envy's face off.

"One more question, how the-"

"Cuss and I murder you,"

"How are we going to got to Central HQ? I mean, you can't exactly afford a cab and I don't think walking would be a good idea because it would probably take us a week," Envy questioned in annoyance. Kaitlyn seemed to sink.

"I forgot to think about that," She sighed, looking at the ground. "If I call Mustang he'll probably send Armstrong to pick us up..." She head met Armstrong on and off when he would go to Resembool to check on the Rockbells. "Dang I really should've thought this out!" Suddenly, Kaitlyn's expression went from horrified to traumatized, "And they'll recognize you."

"Da-"

"Cuss and I'll kill you,"

"Dang," Envy sighed, "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Find yourself an outfit and some sunglasses, and if need be cut your hair," Kaitlyn said, _This would be so much easier if he could still shape shift,_ Kaitlyn thought. "And I'll figure out a way to get to Central HQ." She smiled.

"Fine, see ya in a while," Envy waved as he walked off. Kaitlyn began to think of a way when a sudden voice surprised her.

"Are you Kaitlyn Bracken?" A woman, probably in her late twenties to early thirties, stood behind her as she looked around.

"Yes," Kaitlyn answered.

"Welcome to Central," The woman said, completely emotionless, "I have been assigned to take you to Central HQ."

"Thank you, er, would it be a problem if we waited for just a moment, a friend of mine seems to have wandered off," Kaitlyn glanced at the bustling crowds of the station.

"It doesn't appear as if there were any reason we couldn't wait, but I should probably tell General Mustang we will arrive a little later," The woman said emotionlessly, her brown eyes didn't seem to show much emotion either, and her blonde hair was tied up neatly with a hair clip. She left Kaitlyn where she was standing and walked off, returning a few minutes later.

"Hi," Kaitlyn greeted cheerfully as she came back. Kaitlyn was sitting on an empty luggage cart, looking quite relaxed and content. "I don't think I ever got your name."

"I am Leitenant Riza Hawkeye," Riza replied blankly.

"How come you seem so emotionless?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Emotions can make someone weak if they look towards them too much," was Riza's simple answer.

"But you won't be happy if you're emotionless, you'll just be empty," Kaitlyn said, no one had ever talked to Hawkeye that way except a very few people, most people feared her far too much.

"I'm not here so you can lecture me," Riza seemed rather agitated by Kaitlyn's words.

"Sorry," Kaitlyn barely glanced up. She sighed and rested her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her palms, her knuckles resting against her cheeks. Soon Envy was working his way back through the crowd. When he opened his mouth to speak Kaitlyn gave him the "shut up or else" gesture and he stayed silent. "There he is." Kaitlyn smiled as Envy walked up, wearing a new outfit and a pair of sunglasses, though his hair wasn't cut or even styled differently. She gave him a glare and he shrugged. Soon both Envy and Kaitlyn were following Riza to a car parked along the road in front of the train station. Mustang was leaning against the hood of the car, looking rather bored.

"I was right, Lieutenant, she didn't decided to stay in Resembool," Mustang smirked in victory as Riza glared at him. As small side conversations seemed to start, they got in the car. Kaitlyn and the kitten she had found were in back with Roy, while Envy had passenger seat and Riza drove.

"What are the entrance exams like?" Kaitlyn asked thoughtfully.

"There are three sections, each one is pretty easy. There's a written test, an interview, and a skills assessment, you have to do amazing on all three of them to even stand a chance," Mustang explained dully, as if he had explained it to many people before.

"When are the entrance exams?" Kaitlyn asked.

"In a week," Mustang answered.

"A WEEK?!" Kaitlyn shrieked, causing Roy and Envy to cover their ears.

"Yes, a week," Roy answered while he uncovered his ears.

"How will I be ready in a week?" She nearly panicked, she knew it, she should have left Envy in Winry's care and run away before. As Kaitlyn fretted over these facts, Riza was talking to Envy.

"So, what is your name?" She asked, trying to break the dull silence that now filled the car. Envy just glanced at her. "Can you talk?" She asked, and he shook his head. His mind darted to a conversation he and Kaitlyn had as they followed Riza through the crowd.

_"I have a plan so they'll never hear your voice, I'll say you're a mute and all you have to do is keep quiet, I'll handle the rest," Kaitlyn grinned smugly as they darted through a crowd so as not to lose sight of the blonde hair they could barely glimpse in the crowd._

"Oh! He's mute, I forgot to tell you guys," Kaitlyn chuckled nervously. "Afraid you won't get much of a conversation out of him." She added.

"What happened to him?" Riza showed little interest in the topic, but she asked anyways.

"We don't like to talk about it much, it's a sensitive subject," Kaitlyn had to look down as to not show her grinning expression.

"I apologize for bringing it up," Riza apologized sincerely.

"It's fine," Kaitlyn smiled gently. Kaitlyn was staring out the window when she saw a girl, not much older than herself, glaring at the car, and before she could say a thing about it there was a crash and the car plummeted into the dark, cold waters of a river below. Envy, Roy, and Riza could all swim on their own, but with automail Kaitlyn would sink because of the buoyancy of the leg. Water slowly fill the car, and soon it was up to her neck. She couldn't open the door, she tried everything she could think of. The water was now above her head, and she couldn't breath. Water stung her eyes and rushed into her ears. It made her nose sting as water got in. She tried even more desperately to open the door, but soon her mind was numbed, her senses failing and slipping into unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

* * *

Chapter 5

Kaitlyn was only aware of water moving around her before her mind slipped into darkness.

* * *

"Kaitlyn, can you hear me?" Hawkeye's voice managed to break through the dark barrier of unconsciousness that covered Kaitlyn's thoughts.

"Yes," Kaitlyn mumbled into the grass, she didn't want to sit up because the lack of oxygen she had faced before she passed out left her lightheaded, and she had a headache. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes to try and get some of the water on her eyelashes to dry. Her eyes and nose stung, it stung all the way into her deep sinuses, her head ached and so did her chest from the lack of oxygen. She rubbed her eyes again, this time trying to ease her headache.

"Are you okay?" Mustang asked.

"Fine," Kaitlyn said, and suddenly she remembered seeing the girl on the bridge, the hostile, purple-eyes, black-haired girl. "Did any of you see the girl on the bridge before it blew up?" Kaitlyn asked, her brow's knitting together in questioning. She gazed at the bridge, the middle blown out and smoke still rising in thin wisps.

"There was someone on the bridge, what did they look like?" Mustang demanded.

"She, she kinda looked like you. She had eyes that were shaped kinda similar to yours and she had similar features, a slightly round face and soft features, she had pitch black hair and pale skin, with purple snake like eyes. She also had an odd tattoo on the back of her right hand. Of a serpent eating it's own tail," Kaitlyn explained as she gently tore a piece of paper out of some of the stuff in her backpack, _Good thing I got the waterproof bag_, she thought as she got a pen and began to draw a messy picture of the girl. All the color drained from Roy's face at the sketch, his single eye was stretched wide, and if he hadn't lost his other eye it would have made his expression ten times stronger.

"Sir, are you okay?" Riza gently shook his shoulder. Roy closed his eye for a second and swallowed, as if there were a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Looks like we'll have to walk to HQ," He sighed, standing. He tried to make it seem like he didn't just freeze up. Kaitlyn wondered what made Roy freeze up like, it was almost like he went into shock for a moment.

* * *

"Wow! That was amazing Greed!" A young chimera seemed over joyed after watching the bridge explode.

"Thanks Jera, now we need to get home before Master Tucker notices we're gone. He won't be happy if he figured out we tried to kill the Earth Alchemist," Greed smiled, petting Jera's hair and leading to a ladder attached to the side of the building. Jera didn't bother using the ladder, she jumped gracefully from windowsill to windowsill and landed gracefully on her feet. She had an almost square shaped jaw with golden hair, bangs like Edward's only without the hair antenna and her hair was tied into two braids. She had thick limbs and a thick torso, she looked strong but not muscular. She had cat-like yellow eyes that seemed to read and analyze emotions and thoughts.

"Why are we trying to kill Ms. Earth Alchemist if it'll make Master Tucker angry?" Jera asked innocently, as if the concept of killing didn't seem wrong to her.

"Because I said we should," Greed's hands clinched into fists as her eyes flamed with anger. "And maybe we can use her and 'little miss perfect snipper' to make a Philosopher's Stone and turn me human and separate the leopard and human, getting you back to normal too." Greed grinned, her eyes seemed filled with sick joy at this point. As they walked through town, they came to the more rundown places, and soon they got to an old house with a busted door. They walked inside and found the stairs to what was probably a cellar or basement, but when they got down there were hallways leading in many different directions. Greed led the way down the farthest hallway to the left. Jera followed like an obedient puppy, until they reached a door, and Greed forced it open and spiderwebs fell from above.

"Mr. Tucker needs to fix the door, I'm getting tired of having to bruise my shoulders to open it," Jera pouted as she followed Greed into the dusty room. In the corner there was a metal framed bunk bed with hay tufted mattresses. Greed yawned and slid onto the bottom bunk. letting her head laying over the end. Jera seemed tense as she entered the room, her eyes darting around and her nose twitching. She suddenly slid stealthily along the wall, her eyes locked on one corner. She darted into the corner and there was the sound of a terrified squeak. Jera returned with a rabbit in her mouth, her jaws firmly locked around the struggling mass of white fur. Jera's sharp canine teeth pierced the poor creature's back and severed it's spinal cord, killing it instantly. She began to eat it like a leopard would, occasionally tossing it around just for fun. Blood smeared the floor and covered her mouth as she swiped her tongue around her lips, licking the rabbit blood away from her lips only to let more drip from her mouth.

"Really, Jera, can't you just try and _act_ normal? That is disgusting," Greed gagged as Jera grinned, letting rabbit blood run from the corner of her upturned lips, giving her a menacing, crazed look.

"No, I can't. I'm not close enough to normal to act it," Jera's eyes glimmered in the dim room.

* * *

After an hour of walking through Central, Roy, Riza, Envy, and Kaitlyn finally made it to HQ _and_ Roy's office. Kaitlyn was rather exhausted by the days events, and the fact that she hadn't been able to sleep on the train. She wanted to crawl into a dark corner and sleep for hours, but she knew that was hardly an option. _Where the heck am I gonna stay? _She thought, rather annoyed with herself.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

* * *

Chapter 6

Kaitlyn immediately jumped up once her flesh leg had regained feeling.

"That was terrifying," She gasped as she looked at the bullet hole in the wall.

"Wake up before the tenth time next time," Riza said, putting the gun back in it's holster. Kaitlyn got up and changed into clean clothes before following Riza outside, "I'm going to drop you off at the new First Branch Library, when they ask you for approval to enter, give them this sheet of paper. You are to stay and study for your exams until I pick you up."

"Okay," Kaitlyn nodded sleepily, still half asleep from her awakening. Since Riza's car had been plunged into the river, she was borrowing Fuery's car, and being extra careful not to crash into anything. Soon the library came into sight and Riza practically kicked Kaitlyn out of the car so she wouldn't be late. Kaitlyn got the piece of paper out of her pocket and walked up the steps to the library, when the guard stopped her she handed him the paper and he nodded, handing it back to her and letting her pass. She walked into the library, and was left completely mind blown from the sheer size of the library. She immediately went to the alchemy section of the library. She found a good sized book on simpler transmutations and began to read. She read the entire book and she wasn't sure exactly how long it took. She went through book after book on any subjects she was sure would be involved in the exams, any of them she didn't know much about or she hadn't gone over for a long time. She sat at a table in the back of the library with a stack of books, reading and reading and reading. Soon she looked for a clock, unsure of what time it was. She saw a large clock in the front of the library and it read 10:00, she wondered if it was in the morning or at night, so she glanced out the window. It was pitch black outside and stars dotted the sky.

"Are you Kaitlyn?" One of the librarians asked.

"Yes," Kaitlyn nodded.

"Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye has left a message for you, she said that she will be getting back late and won't be able to pick you up. She said for you to go home once you get the message," The young librarian informed.

"Okay," Kaitlyn yawned, she went and put the books back, making a mental note of the ones she hand't gotten to read yet. She walked out of the library and began to head home. As she was walking she had an uneasy feeling, like something was off. She glanced around and din't see anything, but the only light to see anything by was the streetlights and they didn't cover all of the space leaving some areas so dark you couldn't see a thing there. She glanced around again, and saw something lighter colored move in the shadows. She walked a little quicker, wanting to get back and sleep. She heard footsteps crunch loose cement and she knew someone was there. She whirled around and saw a blonde haired girl with her hair tied into two braids and bangs obscuring her eyes.

"You're the Earth Alchemist aren't you? Greed told me I could try and kill you!" The girl seemed so excited. She laughed insanely as someone walked up beside her.

"Jera, I said that you could attack her, I get to kill her," A girl with pitch black hair and purple snake like eyes grinned. Her hair reached to her mid back and stuck messily to her forehead and the sides of her face, like she had an issue with static electricity, "Then we can tell Master Tucker we tried to save her and he might use his Philosopher's Stone to turn us human again."

"Alright Greed, but I wanted to kill her," Jera pouted thoughtfully.

"You-You're the girl from the bridge!" Kaitlyn exclaimed, she didn't know if she could fight both of them, and they looked fairly strong.

"Yep! And I thought people with automail couldn't swim, so how did you manage to survive?" Greed seemed overjoyed to be remembered.

"Someone saved me," Kaitlyn said, trying to stall so she could figure out a way to escape. She glanced around, hoping they couldn't tell where she was looking.

"You know, that weakling homunculus you're helping isn't immortal anymore, and he doesn't even have his powers anymore. He's weak, why are you even helping him?" Greed laughed. Hearing someone talk about that like one of her friends made Kaitlyn mad, but she tried not to let her anger get the best of her.

"Yes, I did know that. And he's stronger than you, he knows what pain is," Kaitlyn laughed, her laughter confused both Jera and Greed. Before either knew what was happening, Kaitlyn had clapped her hands and rushed at Greed. She held her hands out, and they glowed blue and the air thickened. Greed suddenly began to choke and cough up blood. Her hand flew to her chest as she gasped and suddenly her eyes froze open and she dropped to her knees, then to the ground.

"Greed?" Jera asked cautiously, there was no response. "Greed?!" Jera shrieked, rushing to her leader's side.

"I'm fine Jera," Greed panted, rubbing blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. She coughed lightly. "What the heck did you do to me?" Greed demanded.

"Simple, I changed the chemical make up of the air around you and it reacted with the air in your lungs and exploded, destroying your lungs," Kaitlyn explained, Greed suddenly seemed enraged and charged at Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn ducked under a punch that would've broke her nose if it had hit her and ran towards Jera, clapping her hands.

"You hurt her and I swear I'll kill you," Greed growled, when Kaitlyn didn't slow she tackled her to the ground. "If you kill her, or hurt her, I'll kill you in the slowest and most painful way I can think of, I'll find someway to bring you back, and turn you into a Philosopher's Stone, or I'll just kill you again." Greed's breath smelled horrible; she tugged Kaitlyn's head back by her hair so Kaitlyn was looking her in the eyes.

"And what makes you think you can kill me?" Kaitlyn panted, trying to work her nose or mouth to where she could get a breath of cold night air.

"I can kill you right here," Greed growled as she held a small knife to Kaitlyn's neck. She began to struggle, but Greed punched her in the gut hard enough to knock the breath out of her. Kaitlyn struggled to break free, and managed to jerk out of Greed's hold so that she was stabbed in the arm, no where vital like the neck, chest, or abdomen.

_I've gotta get away! Dang it, why did I let my anger get the best of me?!_ Thoughts raced through Kaitlyn's head as she tried to move away, only to discover the blade was still deep in her arm. The sudden jerking motion caused the blade to tear through her flesh and muscle, and it even scraped against the bone.

"What's wrong, alchemist? Can't transmute your way out of this?" Greed laughed insanely. Kaitlyn steadied her breathing as she gave her arm one last tug, feeling the blade rip through the thin layer of flesh and muscle securing it in. Kaitlyn clapped her hands and changed the air around Kaitlyn again, to buy herself some time. She struggled to her feet and began to run, unsteady on her feet from the pain in her arm. Suddenly she was knocked to the ground by Jera, who had a murderous look in her eyes.

"Stop killing Greed!" The young girl shrieked as she activated a transmutation circle on a pair of black gloves she wore. Rocks shot out of the ground and catapulted Kaitlyn into the air like a rag doll. She did her best to land on her feet but fell, only to meet another attack from the combined forces of an enrages Greed and a ticked Jera. She felt rocks pummel her and the cold knife against her neck once more. The metal sliced at the skin just above her jugular vein and she was scared to the point of being paralyzed by fear.

_Why can't I move, ugh, my arm hurts, my neck, I'm gonna die. My chest hurts, why? Why did everything get warm all of a sudden, it's too hot; it hurts, _The thoughts wouldn't leave Kaitlyn's mind alone. She was suddenly aware of someone sitting her up.

"Kaitlyn, can you hear me? Are you okay?" Mustang tried to get her to respond, but she just looked beat.

"Oww," The low groan was enough of a reaction for Roy. He gently picked Kaitlyn up and took her to his car, he started driving her to the hospital. _Where did Jera and Greed go? Why aren't they attacking me anymore? Whose voice was that? _Kaitlyn thought blankly as she drew ragged breath after ragged breath. "Bright," Kaitlyn said as a bright light shone around, as if she were in a lit building.

"How did this happen?" A doctor asked Mustang. "It almost looks as if someone were trying to kill her." He added.

"I don't know, I found her like this," Roy told half the truth, not mentioning her had used his Flame Alchemy to chase off a chimera and a homunculus. Kaitlyn was slowly beginning to focus on the world around her, seeing she was in a hospital, and she noticed how much she hurt. Her limbs throbbed dully and her arm hurt so bad it would have made anyone in their right mind cry out. It took her a second to realize how hard she was trembling. The room around her was dim, unlike the waiting room of the hospital that had lit up her eyes long after she closed them. She shifted uncomfortably under the scratchy blanket pulled up to her shoulders, and tried to free her arm that burned and ached so bad she just wanted to sleep for another few hours.

"It seems she has a slight head injury, and that her right arm is broken. And you can easily see what's wrong with her left arm," The doctor said, explaining Kaitlyn's more severe injuries to Mustang.

"Da-"

"Curse and I'll kill you," Even barely conscious Kaitlyn was still threatening.

"Dang," _How could that homunculus and chimera ave done this to ssh a strong alchemist, and such a strong fighter otherwise? _Mustang thought.

* * *

"Do I really have to recite it again, just let me read," Kaitlyn whined as Armstrong, who had been assigned to help her study for the exams, quizzed her over the meaning of "One is all, All is one."

"Yes, Kaitlyn Bracken! You won't learn something unless it is forced into your memory!" Armstrong exclaimed. Kaitlyn looked horribly aggravated, but just slumped back against the pillow propping her up in the hospital bed she was in.

"I am the one, the universe is the all. The all is me, and the universe is the one," Kaitlyn sighed for the tenth time, _I have five more days and he's quizzing me over the first thing_ I_ learned about alchemy!_

"Again!" Armstrong commanded. Kaitlyn groaned and recited again. "Good, now read the next book and I'll go over it when you're done."

_I'm going to murder Mustang for this later,_ She growled mentally. She sighed as she picked up the next book on the pile and read through it at lightning speed. I finished the book the was thicker than my fist in twenty minutes.

"Done reading," Kaitlyn sighed, and soon she was reciting all the information from the book for a tenth time. "Armstrong, can I take a break and go for a walk around the hospital or something?" She asked.

"It is almost lunch time, you can have ten minutes!" Armstrong boomed.

"Thanks," Kaitlyn sighed and struggled to her feet, stepping gingerly with one foot and quickly transferring her weight heavily to the other. Her ankle was sprained slightly, but she wasn't really supposed to be walking on it.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" An annoying voice spoke behind her and she turned to see a teen who was about sixteen with pitch black hair and black eyes. "My cousin told me he wanted me to look after you, I guess you remind him of his sister." The boy seemed to be annoyed.

"Who are you?" She asked embarrassedly.

"I'm Redwing, I'm Roy's cousin," Redwing introduced. "So you're the one I'm supposed to babysit." He seemed angry at me even though she had just met him.

"I'm-"

"Your name is Kaitlyn Bracken, isn't it," He wasn't asking, he was confirming.

"Yes," Kaitlyn was starting to get ticked with this guy.

"Well, since I'm stuck babysitting you then I have to keep you from doing anything stupid, like walking on a sprained ankle," He sighed and herded her to her room. He got her some food from the cafeteria and kept watch to make sure she stayed down and didn't get up and put weight on her hurt ankle.

"My butt's asleep," Kaitlyn complained after ten minutes.

"Deal with it," Redwing grumbled in response, not to fond of having to put up with Kaitlyn's whining.

"Why is your name Redwing, anyway?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I have a red scar on each shoulder and it makes me look like a Redwing blackbird with the black hair and eyes," He said dully.

"That's cool," Kaitlyn said as she took a bite of her sandwich and looked as if she were about to ask Redwing something else when the doors burst open to reveal the sparkling- and shirtless- Major Armstrong.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, if you've taken your time to read this I thank you, but I really could use some reviews. If it's not too much to ask could you please review?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Back to studying," Kaitlyn sighed as she took the last book of the pile. She read it, and went over everything with Armstrong, twenty times.

"I'm _so_ glad I'm not an alchemist," Redwing muttered, "I don't have to study like a maniac."

"Redwing, I'm gonna murder you after all of this is done," Kaitlyn growled, she picked up a new book and began to read. She sighed and began to review the information. After that book Armstrong left, and Kaitlyn realized she had finished reading and reviewing twenty books in one day. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head. "Hey Redwing, can I _please_ go on a short walk around the hospital?" She batter her eyelashes.

"No," Redwing answered simply.

"Please, even just around the room!" Kaitlyn begged.

"Forget about it, unless you need to do something then you stay there," Redwing said stubbornly. Kaitlyn sighed and stretched her legs out, wishing she could walk around just a bit. She rubbed her eyes, a minor eyestrain headache bugged the backs of her eyes.

"Redwing, I'm gonna take a shower," Kaitlyn decided, at least she could stand for a little while. She sorely stood and put her weight softly on her ankle before letting all her weight fall to her other foot. She left Redwing in her room and went to the small bathroom connected to her hospital room. She turned on the cool water of the shower before pulling a plastic bag over her cast and gently covering her stab wound with a bit of waterproof bandaging. After a ten minute shower she was in her pajamas and back in the hospital bed.

"You going to bed?" Redwing asked hopefully.

"Probably, but would you mind staying for awhile?" Kaitlyn nearly begged, no one had noticed but since she had been attacked by Greed and Jera she was terrified they would come back.

"Why?" Redwing complained.

"I'm kinda afraid that the people who attacked me will come back, please stay," Kaitlyn whispered, wishing she was back home where she didn't have to worry about anything like this. She tugged her blanket tighter around her, as if the warmth it brought could protect her from the homunculus and chimera duo.

"Fine," Redwing groaned and let his head hit the wall in annoyance.

"Thank you," Kaitlyn whispered quietly. After only ten minutes she fell asleep, and Redwing left once he was certain she was asleep.

* * *

_Kaitlyn was trapped under the rocks and being attacked by Greed and Jera again, but this time she was completely awake, and Mustang didn't happen to drive by. Her breathing was rough, considering rocks were crushing her chest and making it next to impossible for her lungs to expand. She struggled against the rocks piled around her, and the blade against her neck. She felt the skin on her neck cut a little, a warm trickle of blood flow from the thin cut. She fought to slip farther into the pile of rocks that Jera had used to crush her. She felt hot blood flowing down her left arm, and felt her automail begin to cave in under the rocks. She felt the blade get closer to her windpipe, or her jugular. Gaging, Kaitlyn managed to slip between two of the larger rocks and to temporary safety. She felt the rocks around her shift, and her back was hit hard by a rock. Another rock hit her hard in the front, and the combined force snapped her spine near the bottom, but only paralyzed her from the waste down permanently. She cried out in agony as the rocks fell away from her and let her hit the cool cement. Her face, hot from tears, was cooled instantly by the cold cement under her face as she enjoyed the quiet darkness the rocks supplied. When nothing moved, no light came, fear began to fill Kaitlyn. _

_"Am I dead?" She asked herself quietly, drawing in cold, earth scented breaths. She looked around, but everything was dark, and she realized she was still alive and still buried. She wondered where the homunculus and chimera went. Suddenly a sharp pain went through her body, and she realized she had been stabbed again. _

"NO!" Kaitlyn wailed as she awoke from her nightmare, she was breathing quickly and her heart was pounding. "Redwing?" She looked around the room for the teenager, but he was no where in sight. Looking at the clock she realized it was nearly two in the morning. She silently slipped out of her bed and went to the stool in the corner where her backpack was laying. She dug around until she found a small blanky and a jewelry box. She took the neatly carved box and twisted a small handle on the back before she opened it and let a lullaby like rhythm play. She hummed along with it as she made her way back over to her bed. She hated the stiff, clean sheets and the way the mattress would shift so much at every tiny movement she made. She sat down hard and laid around the blanket, she twisted the small watch spring on the back of the tiny jewelry box again and let the music play. She buried her face in the pillow to keep her tears from showing, and soon she was asleep. She woke up to the sound of footsteps on the clean tile floors of her hospital room.

"Well, you're awake," Redwing smirked, "And 'bout time too."

"What time is it?" Kaitlyn yawned, sitting up and letting the small blanky she had been hugging fall to the floor.

"Noon," Redwing answered, "A blanky? And a music box? How the heck could you become a State Alchemist, you're just a simple little kid."

"I had a nightmare and couldn't sleep," Kaitlyn said tiredly, the nightmare still in her mind. The pain and the fear, it hurt to think about. She picked the blue, ragged blanket up off the floor and wrapped it around the small jewelry box. She went and put them back in her bag and walked around the room a little. "I'm going for a walk." Kaitlyn said simply before she walked off. Redwing didn't follow, he just glared after her. What Redwing didn't notice was the tears in Kaitlyn's eyes and the way her left eyebrow had arched. She ran down the empty halls, where the power wasn't even on. She let her feet take her where they would, and then once she stopped, she realized she was lost. "Why does he have to taunt me? What'd I ever do to him?!" Kaitlyn whimpered as she settled in a corner with her shoulders against both walls. Soon tears were falling down her face and she was sniffling pathetically.

"Kaitlyn, where are you?" Redwing growled as he rounded the corner and saw Kaitlyn sitting in the corner with her head in her hands, crying. "Kaitlyn, Major Armstrong is looking for you, he sent me to find you actually. So come on." He said.

"Tell Armstrong that I don't need to study today, and I'm going to stay where you found me until _I_ feel like moving," Kaitlyn said, she looked as if she wanted to beat Redwing until he had to be admitted to the hospital as well.

"Okay, but I can't assure that he'll be too happy about that," Redwing shrugged and walked off. As soon as Kaitlyn thought he was out of earshot, she began sobbing. Not just a few tears, full out wailing and sobbing. Redwing pressed his back to the wall just around the corner and listened, occasionally glancing around the corner at Kaitlyn. After ten minutes of this he went back to tell Armstrong what Kaitlyn had said.

"Maybe Redwing's right, I'm not fit to be a State Alchemist. Why am I even an alchemist? Why couldn't I just have stayed at home that day?" Kaitlyn growled, remembering clearly the day she went to follow her father.

_"Dad, where're ya going?" Kaitlyn had asked simply as she followed her father to the door._

_"All of the teachers have a meeting this morning," Her father had simply as he opened the door. Kaitlyn could tell he was lying, so she ran back to her room, grabbed already packed bag and followed. She was a slightly paranoid girl and always had a backpack packed for emergency situations. Kaitlyn ran after the car she watched her father get into._

_"Hey kid, stay out of the streets!" Someone shouted as they swerved to avoid her. She ignored their shouts and dashed after the car. She rounded a corner and kept going. The car stopped in front of a large building and Kaitlyn saw a golden-haired teenager running around the side. She followed him quickly and watched him slip in through a broken window. She followed and walked behind him but he never noticed her. When he stopped in a doorway, she glanced over his shoulder to see that there was a giant room with odd circles drew on the floor and ceiling and a giant serpent like dragon curled around in a circle with a man, who looked similar to the golden-haired teen she had followed, in it's mouth. Kaitlyn saw her father and other men she had seen before putting on thick, odd looking armor. Kaitlyn herself slipped into a suit of armor and followed the rest of the people in armor. They boarded large rocket powered ships. For the next ten minutes Kaitlyn had no clue what was happening, but then she heard shouting from outside the ship and there was a gunshot. Everyone seemed slightly confused, but they didn't seem worried. Soon the rocket jerked into motion. After a few seconds, an odd light filled it and everyone was standing in front of a large set of doors._

_"Where are we?" Kaitlyn's voice trembled._

_"Kaitlyn, how did you get here?!" Her father questioned just as the doors opened. Pain seared through Kaitlyn's right leg and she watched as it dematerialized, taken by small black hands. She cried out again and again for help, but soon everything faded to black. _

* * *

_"Brother, someone's alive!" A voice rang through the armor around Kaitlyn. Something warm filled the right leg of the armor and it was sticky and smelled like iron._

_"It hurts," Kaitlyn whispered weak as the armor was taken off of her._

_"Her leg," Another, older voice said. _

_"Where am I? Where is my daddy?" Kaitlyn's voice trembled._

_"Al, find Winry," The second voice said firmly._

_"I'll be right back, brother," Al nodded and gently lifted Kaitlyn off the ground and began to step through the pile of armor and dead bodies. The next thing she was aware of was waking up at the automail shop._

"If I had just stayed home then I would still be with my family, I wouldn't have to put up with Greed or Jera hunting me, and I wouldn't be crying right now," Kaitlyn whispered and pulled her knees closer to her chest. She dug her nails into the palms of her hands, digging into the small scars already there from previously doing so. She heard heavy footsteps approaching and knew Redwing had told Armstrong where she was. _Stupid Redwing! I made it pretty obvious I didn't want to put up with Armstrong!_ Kaitlyn growled mentally.

"This behavior is unacceptable, Kaitlyn Bracken!" Armstrong boomed as he picked Kaitlyn up under his arm and began to carry her to her hospital room. He set her down on her bed and began to lecture her.

"Go die in a hole, Armstrong! Redwing, I'm going to beat you until you need stitches in your brain!" Kaitlyn fumed, not too happy about being dragged from her corner of sulking. Redwing gave her a surprised look and then made an odd noise, halfway between a disbelieving snort and a chuckle.

"Like you could even land a punch on me, you'd break your knuckles," Redwing was now chuckling quietly and staring at Kaitlyn.

"You wanna bet?" Kaitlyn growled, clenching her fist and glaring at Redwing. "I can test that theory right now," She growled, already on her feet.

"Go ahead," Redwing taunted, grinning mockingly. Kaitlyn quickly accepted the challenge, pulling her fist back and letting it barrel into Redwing's gut. He gagged slightly, unprepared for the impact. Kaitlyn quickly swiped the back of his knees with her leg and knocked him over. Redwing took this as his cue to fight back and quickly jumped back up to his feet. He punched Kaitlyn hard in the cheek. She countered by trying to knock him off balance again. He stepped back and swung another punched, his fist connecting painfully with her abdomen. Kaitlyn doubled over, and Redwing kicked the backs of her knees and knocked her legs out from under her. She landed on her back and he held her down with a foot across her stomach. She pushed helplessly against his foot and growled threats of varying harshness. Suddenly Kaitlyn grabbed his ankle so hard it knocked him off balance, he fell over and Kaitlyn immediately kicked him hard in the face, the toe of her boot hitting his nose. Redwing immediately retaliated by knocking Kaitlyn down to his level, he punched her in the face. Kaitlyn punched back, both would now surely have a black eye. Redwing managed to make it back to his feet and kicked Kaitlyn, his shoe connected with her lip, splitting the skin and letting blood well up on her lip.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist

* * *

Chapter 8

Armstrong was fairly uncertain, for once, of how to break up the fight. In the end he managed to keep them from doing any real damage, and was holding them both by the backs of their shirts like dogs after a fight was broken up.

"Still sure... I'll... break my knuckles... if I punch you?" Kaitlyn panted mockingly.

"Maybe not, but I can fight back. I went easy on you," Redwing winced with every word as he tried to support himself against the ground. After ten minutes Armstrong set Kaitlyn back on her bed, and Redwing in the chair in the corner. Armstrong set off to find a phone to call Mustang and tell him about his cousin's behavior.

"Roy's gonna murder us both," Kaitlyn sighed, holding a bit of cloth to her busted lip.

"Maybe he'll _just_ murder you, I'm gonna get ten times worse," Redwing sighed as well, he was pinching his nose to try and stop the torrential downpour of blood coming from it.

"I guess he really has something against you, huh?" Kaitlyn said, pretty much asking a question.

"He hates me and I don't know why, I guess he feels like I ruined his life by becoming his responsibility when my parents disappeared and I was found. No one really knows what happened to my parents or me, I was really hurt when they found me and I wouldn't stop crying about a horrible lady with black hair and purple eyes," Redwing leaned back in the chair and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. "The only thing that any of them could find wrong with me was I had two blood red patches on either shoulder, that's why they named me Redwing because with my black hair, black eyes, and the red patches I looked like a red winged blackbird."

"How come you seem to hate me so much?" Kaitlyn asked thoughtfully.

"Because I'm just jealous that my cousin treats you like a little sibling or a child and he treats me like a rival. He treats you more like family in less than two weeks, and he never gave me a chance," Redwing shrugged, blood slipped past his fingers from his nose, "Dang, Kaitlyn, I think your broke my nose."

"Sorry," Kaitlyn blushed and readjusted the piece of cloth on her lip to try to stem the bleeding.

* * *

"My eye hurts," Kaitlyn sighed as she held an ice pack against her eye to keep it from getting too bad.

"So does mine, bi-"

"Do not cuss, or I will beat you again," Kaitlyn threatened. They sat glaring at each other with their uninjured eyes and muttered under their breath. They were sitting next to each other on the couch in Roy Mustang's living room.

"Stop glaring at one another and arguing long enough to listen to what I have to say," Roy growled, sitting in a chair across from them, "Kaitlyn, you need to try to let your arms heal, if you keep making those injuries worse you might have to wait another year to take the exams to become a State Alchemist. Redwing, I assigned you to keep her safe, not provoke her to beat you."

"Sorry, sir," Kaitlyn ducked her head in apology.

"Why should I care what you tell me to do?" Redwing glared at his cousin.

"Because I happen to be your last living relative, and your legal guardian," Roy said plainly.

"I'm old enough to live on my own," Redwing protested. Kaitlyn wanted to leave before this broke into a full on fight, but she knew she wouldn't get much of a chance to leave, "And I don't need you to look after me now! I've looked after myself since I was five and you decided you couldn't keep looking after me!"

"I couldn't keep looking after you, Redwing! I had to learn alchemy, I had too much to do to look after you! I don't see why I was stuck taking care of you, your parents didn't take care of me when I needed it!" Roy was fuming mad, it took a lot to get him that angry, but his cousin had done it.

"So you can look after your subordinates with one eye, but when you still had both eyes you couldn't even look after a little five year old?" Redwing looked about ready to kill or serially maim Roy. Kaitlyn took her chance to leave when Redwing and Roy started an angry stare down. Kaitlyn stood quietly, hoping her automail wouldn't squeak as she walked out of the room. She ended up in the kitchen and sat at the small, wooden table and sighed.

_Poor Redwing, poor Roy. Which do I feel more sorry for?_ Kaitlyn thought as she looked around the small kitchen. It looked like it had been repaired with alchemy one to many times and had been caught on fire, or smashed, or blown up a few more times after. She sighed and laid her head on the table, her busted lip throbbing from the blood going past the thin scab that had stopped it from bleeding anymore. The icepack she had on her eye was now pressed between her face and the table, but she didn't care. The cool and dark were nice, it blocked out the bad situation at hand.

_BANG!_ The loud sound came from the living room. Kaitlyn immediately jumped to her feet and ran to look into the living room. The couch she and Redwing had been sitting on previously was now on fire and the table was now against the wall and on it's side. Kaitlyn's eye twitched as she watched Redwing running around the room, his jacket on fire, and Mustang trying to put the fire on the couch out. Kaitlyn immediately ran over to Redwing and helped him put the fire on his jacket out before running over and helping to put the fire on the couch out.

"What the heck did you two do?!" Kaitlyn shrieked once her and Roy had managed to put the fire out.

"My idiot cousin used his flame alchemy to light my jacket on fire and some of the fire missed and hit the couch," Redwing hissed as he and Roy began glaring at each other again.

"ENOUGH! Stop acting like children and clean up this mess!" Kaitlyn gave them both the _argue and I will personally kill you, bring you back, and kill you again_ look.

"Fine," Redwing sighed and began to push the table back to it's legs before pushing it back to where it belonged. Roy picked up scattered papers and books and returned them to the table before going to a bookshelf that Redwing had accidentally knocked over as he was trying to but out the fire on his jacket. Redwing gathered the books that he had scattered and let Roy organize them on the shelf.

_Knock knock knock!_ Someone hammered their fist on the door.

"Do you want me to get that?" Kaitlyn asked Mustang, who only gave a slight noise that sounded like a sure so Kaitlyn went and opened the door. Envy was standing in the doorway, not wearing his new clothes or sunglasses, "What the heck are you doing?! If Mustang catches you then he'll kill you!"

"Kaitlyn, who is it?" Roy bellowed from the other room.

"They got the wrong address, I'll just show em to the right house," Kaitlyn could barely keep her voice steady as she grabbed Envy by the arm and dragged him out of the house. "Now tell me, are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?!" She shouted once they were away from the house.

"Kaitlyn-"

"If either of them see you they'll murder you, then me!" Kaitlyn shouted, not even noticing Envy said anything.

"Kaitlyn!-"

"I mean, it'll be really bad! What the heck are you thinking?!" Kaitlyn questioned.

"**Kaitlyn!" **This got her attention, "I was trying to figure out where you were, but I was attacked by a chimera and the new Greed."

"Jera and Greed are after you too, just great!" Kaitlyn ruffled her short hair and let her forehead crash against the wall they were next to, "Crazy, physco chimera and homunculus after us both, and now someone might figure out who you are! How could this get worse?"

"I could think of plenty of ways," Envy said blandly.

"That was a rhetorical question!" Kaitlyn growled, continuing to let her forehead bang on the wall, soon giving her a small bruise on her head, "I'm gonna go die in a hole now."

"No you're not," Envy grabbed her arm firmly so she couldn't walk away. "I need help getting back to the hotel I'm staying at without anyone seeing it's me."

"Heh, good luck with that! I'm gonna go in and make sure Roy and Redwing don't _murder_ each other," Kaitlyn laughed nervously as she tried to run back in.

"No," Envy said.

"Yes," Kaitlyn gave him the familiar death glare. "Uh, Envy, there's a wolf spider on your shoulder." She pointed to his shoulder and sure enough, there was a big, grey wolf spider clinging to his shoulder.

"Get it off," Envy stood still, eyeing the spider as it slowly made it's way over the top of his shoulder and began to climb down his back.

"Wimp," Kaitlyn sighed as she held her hand in the spider's path and it climbed onto her fingers. "It's cute!" She squealed, playing with the small creature. She held it closer to Envy and said, "See, it's not that bad."

"Get it away!" Envy cried.

"Fine, but I'm going inside," She said, turning with the spider. "Oh, and by the way, I can just use some plants to transmute you a new outfit."

"I hate you," Envy glared at her. Kaitlyn used some grass clipping to make him a different shirt and that was about all. He grumbled angrily as he began to walk back.

"Sorry I took so long, guys," Kaitlyn smiled as she walked inside with the spider still climbing across her fingers.

"Is that a spider?" Redwing asked as he kinda inched behind Roy and used him as a meat shield.

"Yep," Kaitlyn smiled and sat down as Redwing and Roy began running around and screaming like crazy. Kaitlyn seemed completely oblivious to the other two's behavior as she played with the wolf spider. After about ten minutes she went outside and set the spider down.

"Is it gone?" Redwing asked her, hoping that she had left the spider outside.

"Yeah, I wish I could of kept it," Kaitlyn sighed, "But I did release it."

* * *

A/N: I just want to know, who enjoyed the part with Kaitlyn's little friend the spider? I could work in more stuff like that and have more Redwing spaz out moments if you guys liked it.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

* * *

Chapter 9

"Back to my lecture," Mustang had both Redwing and Kaitlyn back sitting across the coffee table from him again. He continued to lecture them for another two hours before it was time for Kaitlyn to go back to Riza's. Kaitlyn had been discharged from the hospital that afternoon after her and Redwing's little fight. Roy drove her home, and he made Redwing ride along because he didn't trust him to stay at his house alone. Kaitlyn and Redwing were soon talking, rather awkwardly, about why they had even started the fight. Soon Roy pulled into the parking lot of Riza's apartment complex.

"I'll be at HQ tomorrow bright and early for the exams," Kaitlyn smiled half-heartedly. She got out of the car, slamming the door behind her and going inside. She walked up the stairs all the way up to the top floor, where Riza stayed. She yawned and knocked on the door.

"Hello, Kaitlyn," Riza smiled, but a suspicious look clouded her eyes.

"Roy told you about me and Redwing's fight, didn't he?" Kaitlyn sounded rather unamused.

"Why would you start a fight when you're that hurt, and why with an ally?" Riza shook her head.

"I don't know," Kaitlyn growled as she walked past Hawkeye and to the bed that was previously set up. She fell face first on the low to the ground cot and soon she was snoring lightly. Riza had never seen anyone fall asleep, or wake up as fast as Kaitlyn did when she bolted awake after two minutes.

"Are you okay?" Riza asked, concern laced her voice.

"F-fine," Kaitlyn trembled, another nightmare about Greed and Jera, and a shadowy figure with long hair and long limbs, haunted her thoughts. _Where do I know that figure from? I've seen it so recently! Where?!_

"Are you sure you're okay?" Riza asked as Kaitlyn rubbed her eyes and pressed her knuckles against her eyelids.

"I'm fine," Kaitlyn said, harsher that she meant. She tugged the blankets over the back of her head and faced the wall. She steadied her breath so it sounded like she had fallen asleep. _Dang, I know I've seen that figure before. Spiky hair to it's waist, long, strong arms and legs. Oh gosh, it's Envy!_ She began to panic slightly and that gave away that she was not asleep.

"I know something's wrong, just quiet acting prideful and say that you had a nightmare," Riza advised as she was getting ready for bed.

"I did have a nightmare, so what? I'm just thinking and I need some peace and quiet," Kaitlyn said harshly as she readjusted the blanket to block out light and noise. She tried desperately to sleep, she needed to be rested for the exams the next day. At about four in the morning she was so stressed about the exams that she began doing last minute reviews. She didn't go back to sleep, she just kept reviewing until she knew that if she missed something, she was hopeless. She was a nervous wreck and her lack of adequate sleep didn't help her spastic jumpiness. As she scrambled a few more papers in front of her Riza walked up behind her to tell her it was time to leave.

"Kaitlyn-"

"Wha?!" Kaitlyn jumped so high that she nearly fell over.

"Kaitlyn, it's time to go," Riza sighed. Kaitlyn looked up from where she had been trapped under a pile of books.

"Already? But it's only like... six in the morning?!" Kaitlyn had apparently lost track of time. She hurriedly brushed her hair, but didn't have time to change out of her pajamas. She was wearing a pink low-cut shirt with fairly short sleeves, and mint green pants with pictures of bunnies frosting cupcakes on them. She followed Riza out to the car and the ride was silent, Kaitlyn thinking of worst case scenarios, hardly even noticing she was in her pajamas.

"I'll meet you by th car at nine if I get off on time, if I'm off late you might have to walk again," Riza instructed before walking quickly off down one hallway. Kaitlyn looked around like a lost puppy for a few minutes before someone came up to her.

"Need some help?" The young woman offered.

"Y-yes, where do I go to take the State Alchemist Entrance Exams?" Kaitlyn stammered, looked around the small area that branched off into at least ten hallways.

"Oh, follow me! I'm heading that way too, I hear that last year not one girl took the test, so I bet everyone will underestimate us," The woman could have been anywhere from her late teens to her mid twenties, and it seemed she didn't need to stop talking to breathe.

"Thank you," Kaitlyn thanked her timidly once they reached the door, "Good luck."

"Good luck!" The woman waved and smiled brightly as they entered the large testing room and were shown to their seats. Everyone was waiting for the test to start, but most of the people cracked up laughing when they saw Kaitlyn taking her seat for the test. A few people gave her pitying looks but most of the laughed and mocked her size and the fact that she was a girl. Kaitlyn hid her blushing face in her hands and let the darkness sink into her thoughts. She let the world around her dull until all that she recognized was a slight hum of distant voices and her own thoughts and the section of table in front of her. She moved her hands and smiled. She began to go through the information in her mind, just to keep herself busy. Soon the written test started. It took Kaitlyn at least two hours to finish, and the test lasted four hours. Everyone stared at her as she raised her hand for a monitor to pick it up. She spent the next two hours shifting around in her chair, nervously shredding the skiing on her lip, smashing her hair between her nails, braiding small sections of her hair, losing herself to thought, and doodling on some left over paper she had.

"It's only eleven-thirty," Kaitlyn sighed as she walked around in front of the main Central building. She had a _long _time to wait. The next day would be the interview portion and the skills assessment. Kaitlyn found a tree and sat up against the trunk, playing with leaves that drifted and twirled off the branches. She bent a leaf until it snapped, right along the vein running to the very tip. She bent the leaf in different ways until chloroplast leaked from the small cracks along it's surface. She sighed and let it drop before picking up another and ruling it on a rock to write random letters in green on the white rock. She played with that for awhile before she got bored again and began drawing in the dirt with the tip of her boot.

"You've been sitting under that tree for nearly an hour, aren't you bored?" A deep, charming voice asked. Kaitlyn looked up to see a tall boy with sandy colored hair and dark purple eyes.

"I don't have much else to do, I'm waiting until it's time for my _mother_ to take me home," Kaitlyn said, giving the tall guy a cautious glance.

"Why did she bring you to work with her, the daycare not open today?" The boy scoffed, he couldn't have been more than three years older than Kaitlyn and he was taunting her about her age.

"I thought you had be out of elementary school to become part of the military," She growled back.

"Wait, I heard rumors about some weak looking girl taking the State Alchemist Entrance Exams, you must be her!" He snapped his fingers in realization.

"People are surprised a girl took the exams? Whats so wrong with that?! JUST BECAUSE I'M A GIRL DOESN'T MAKE ME WEAK! **WHY DO PEOPLE THINK FOR SOMEONE TO BE TOUGH THEY HAVE TO BE A GUY?!" **Kaitlyn went into an Ed called short rage.

"Calm down," The guy smirked with a bit of a laugh. "And yes, girls are weak." he added with a devious grin.

"Guys aren't the ones to get pregnant and have children, or have periods. I think girls are pretty dang tough," Kaitlyn pursed her lips in annoyance.

"I was just telling you, if you get too hungry you can eat lunch in the cafeteria," He shrugged.

"What's your name, anyway?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I'm Maes Hughes," He shook her hand.

"Kaitlyn Braken," She looked at him skeptically. He grinned a broad grin, missing one tooth in the back. His short hair was odd to Kaitlyn, the way it was styled and laid in front of his eyes. She went back to drawing in the dusty dirt and leaving light patches of brown on her black boots. Something about this guy chilled Kaitlyn, his eyes were so familiar. _I know those eyes from somewhere, but where?_

"Are you okay?" Hughes asked.

"Fine," Kaitlyn replied blankly. She stood up and walked past him, still in deep thought, to go get some food in the large cafeteria. She waited, and waited some more, and a little more, until about eight when she decided to go to Riza's car incase she got off early. Kaitlyn wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. Turns out, Riza had gotten off early when Fuery had offered to let her get off earlier so Kaitlyn wouldn't have to wait an extra hour.

"Ready to go?" Riza asked as she dug through her purse for her keys.

"Finally!" Kaitlyn grinned.

"I take it you were bored," Riza observed. Kaitlyn nodded.

"So bored," She said. By the time they were eating dinner, Kaitlyn was pretty hungry, but she did talk a little. "Yeah, this weird guy came up and started talking to me. He was probably about seventeen. He was being pretty rude, but he mostly just creeped me out. And he seemed pretty familiar."

"Do you know what his name was?" Riza asked as she took a drink of tea.

"Maes Hughes," Kaitlyn said.

Riza's response to this information was to actually spit out the tea and she choked on it a little. "_Maes Hughes?"_

"Yeah, I figured he's that friend that Roy's always talking about but he seemed kinda young," Kaitlyn shrugged.

"Kaitlyn, Maes Hughes was murdered before you even came to this world," Riza said seriously, her eyes scared and tense.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Kaitlyn tried to find a logical reason.

"It's a very uncommon name, I'm going to go call Mustang," Riza stood and walked away from the table.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, please review! And I have a question for an OVA I'm gonna write. First, would Kaitlyn be more like a puppy or a kitten or a fox kit, same questing Redwing. And second, please tell if there's anything I can improve on, I want to know why no one is reviewing. Third, thanks for taking your time to read if you are. And one more thing, would Greed and Jera be kitten, puppy, or fox kit?

Now for a response to my first review.

jmtothemusic: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Now that that's is out of the way, Winry would be 18 and a half in this story. And I'm working on trying to add more main characters and looking more at the new team of villains. And just making sure my memory is correct, a Mary-sue is a perfect, happy, rainbow character, right? Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

darknessinlightness: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I think in the show it says Den is a boy, but I could be wrong. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmatel Alchemist.

* * *

Chapter 10

_Those eyes, where? Where do I know those eyes from? _Kaitlyn thought as she leaned back in her chair. A few seconds later a thought hit her. _**Homunculus!**_ Kaitlyn thought just as she heard the sound of wood splintering. She ran to the door and saw Greed looking irritated.

"I was hoping we could use her to make a Phillosipher's Stone, but thanks to Sloth's mess up we have to kill both of them!" Greed seemed to be explaining this to Jera. The boy who had claimed to be named Maes Hughes was following, head down.

"Hey, you should've helped me figure out the plan more, Greed!" He shouted.

"Shut it Sloth! Jera, kill the Earth Alchemist, I'll take care of Mustang's little guard dog, Sloth, you take care of anyone who tries to get in," Greed smiled as she strolled off down the hall.

"Okie dokie!" Jera smiled and immediately got out a pair of alchemy circle gloves. It would be rarely easy to beat Kaitlyn, considering she was still very hurt.

"Let me take her on, Jera! I haven't seen a good fight for ages!" The boy begged, giving Jera the puppy dog look.

"Sure, Slothy!" Jera grinned and took a spot by the door. Sloth quickly turned his arm into water and lashed it hard against Kaitlyn's arm. Kaitlyn clapped her hands and pressed them onto the table, changing it into a series of wooden spikes that exploded around the room and impaled Sloth. He turned to water and the shards of wood dropped onto the ground. Jera squealed in surprise and pain when one of the spikes lodged itself in her forearm. Sloth saw the spike in Jera's arm and immediately surrounded Kaitlyn's head in water so she couldn't breathe. She tried desperately to move, but she could't escape the water that had encased her body. Her eyes were scared, and stuck open by the pressure of the water pressing on her.

"Jera, are you okay?" Sloth asked, concern laced his voice.

"Fine, I'll be able to fix it with alchemy later," Jera smiled.

"I will make sure you pay for hurting her," Sloth growled, his attention directed back to the girl suffocating in the tight pressed water.

* * *

"I'll kill you for making him forget about me! He should remember me, not you!" Greed screamed as she punched Riza in the gut repeatedly. Riza was trying to reach her gun, which was just beyond her reach. "It's your fault he doesn't recognize who I am!" Greed took out the pocket knife she carried with her everywhere and was getting ready to stab Riza in the throat when there was a gunshot, and Greed dropped to the floor. There was a bullet wound on her head, slightly obscured by her black hair. The bullet was forced out and the injury healed right before Riza's eyes.

"You're a homunculus," Riza whispered.

"You finally figured it out, took you long enough," Greed mocked as she stood up. "I was going to kill you quickly, until you shot me in the head." she added.

* * *

"Ru...Rubaina," Kaitlyn tried to call her pet cat, which turned out to be a mix of a tiger, snow leopard, _and _house cat. A large, grey blur shot towards Sloth, and Rubaina had knocked him over and was just sitting next to him with a paw on his chest.

"What is this thing?" Sloth questioned as he tried to push the massive paw off his chest.

"My cat," Kaitlyn panted, the water around her and returned to it's form as Sloth's arm. "Rubaina, good kitty."

"Leave him alone!" Jera growled and kicked Rubaina clean across the room. Sloth immediately stood and ran to attack Kaitlyn, who was at her limits. the wound on her left arm had opened up again, warm blood mixed with the small drops of water left on her arm and dripped to the floor. There was the sound of shattering glass as another chimera entered. He had red hair and blue eyes.

"About time you showed up!" Sloth growled.

"Sorry, but I had something important to do," The new chimer shrugged.

"Why me?" Kaitlyn muttered in despair.

"Hurry up, Bengalensis," Sloth muttered, "We don't have all day to kill her."

"Whatever, Greed can deal with her once she kills Mustang's little guard dog," Bengalensis smirked.

"We have to get out of here before someone hears the commotion and shows up to help them," Jera timidly explained.

"Shut it! You're just a kitten," Bengalensis punched Jera hard in the gut before turning to look at Kaitlyn, "She would be a good fighter if she were mixed with a pitbull, or a german shepherd or something."

"Stop thinking of ways to get her on our side and kill her!" Sloth snapped, walking over to Jera to make sure she was okay. Bengalensis sighed and took out a knife. When Kaitlyn tried to use alchemy to defend herself, Bengalensis leaped high above her to dodge. He could jump at least four times his height without a running start.

_He's mixed with a Bengal fox, it only makes sense! His name, hair color, he can jump just as high as most foxes,_ Kaitlyn thought just before Bengalensis's feet crashed into the backs of her shoulders and knocked her face first on the ground.

* * *

"Riza? Hello?!" Roy was getting more and more worried by the silence, he knew something was wrong. He had been listening to the sound of things breaking for about a minute when he heard a voice he thought he would never hear again.

_"I'll kill you for making him forget about me! He should remember me, not you! It's your fault he doesn't know who I am!" _A rage filled voice screamed. Then there was a gunshot. He thought he heard Riza say something, but his mind had gone blank after the voice and only the gunshot drew his attention back to the receiver in his hand. He hung up and ran to find where Fuery and Havoc were, since they had stayed at work late.

"Havoc, help me find Fuery," Roy seemed to not hear Havoc protesting as he was dragged away from the new secretary.

"Hello si-" Fuery was cut off as he was being dragged by Mustang now too.

* * *

"I don't want to kill either of you, but I will if you don't leave me alone," Kaitlyn was addressing the two in the room besides herself who could die. They laughed. Sloth immediately turned his arms ins to water and whipped Kaitlyn with the dense water. She yelped when it stung a surprising amount. She clapped her hands and held them to the air, suddenly Sloth coughed up a large amount of blood and dropped to the ground. He stood once his lungs had regenerated and he tried to drown Kaitlyn again. This time she turned the water that made up his right arm into steam. He shouted in pain as his other arm returned to normal, and his evaporated arm regenerated. "Bengalensis, Jera, I don't want to kill either of you. I don't want to hurt you, please just leave," Kaitlyn said quietly.

"I don't think so," Bengalensis narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"Fine, then I won't hold back anymore," Kaitlyn sighed. She stood up and clapped her hands, charging at the fiery haired chimera.

* * *

"I'll wait for Roy to show up before I kill you, but for now there's not much you can do!" Greed laughed, Riza was bleeding from her side and she was breathing hard. Greed went to go see if the others had managed to kill Kaitlyn yet.

"Why do you hate General Mustang so much?" Riza finally asked the question that had been at the back of her mind the entire time.

"He was my brother, and he abandoned me. He completely forgot about me and his brother!" Greed growled, "I don't hate him, I hate everyone who made him forget me."

* * *

Bengalensis immediately dodged, he recognized this attack from fights he had observed previously. The air where he had been standing thickened and blue light filled the area. Kaitlyn turned, clapped her hands, and slammed them on the ground. The floor under Bengalensis's feet shot upward with him still standing on it. He crashing into the ceiling and was knocked out.

"Please give up, I don't want to hurt you Jera," Kaitlyn didn't like fighting, she just did what she had to. Jera and Sloth were already about to attack. Kaitlyn clapped her hands and held them out by Sloth, again his lungs exploded. Kaitlyn took this small moment to try and run to find Hawkeye and make sure she hadn't been killed. Just as Kaitlyn turned a corner, Greed came around the same corner.

"Well, the little Earth Alchemist, how good to see you," Greed laughed slightly. She had her knife in her hand, and she looked really mad.

"Oh great," Kaitlyn took a few steps backwards until she turned to run and saw her one escape blocked by Sloth and Jera.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! Sorry, but I just thought a cliffhanger like this would get a few reviews. Thanks to anyone reading this, and I hope you like it! Tell me how to make it better if you see any errors or have any ideas.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

* * *

Chapter 11

Kaitlyn glanced around rapidly, searching for some sort of escape. Both ends of the hallway were blocked, and there were no other ways to escape. Fighting all three of them at once was suicidal, and she knew that they weren't going to go easy on her. Two homunculi and a chimera, the world officially hated Kaitlyn. Before she could make a move to escape, Sloth trapped her in water and Jera used alchemy to cause the rocks around her to trap Kaitlyn's feet. Then Greed punched her hard enough to make her gag. Before she could even clap, Jera used alchemy to trap her hands in rock so she wouldn't be able to use alchemy.

"I have an idea, Greed. We could let her go, if she tells us the secrets she saw in the Gate," Jera grinned. Greed nodded.

"And if you don't, Earth Alchemist, then I'll just kill that boy you like, what was his name? Oh yeah, Redwing!" Greed grinned wide.

"If you know that much about me, you'll know Redwing and I hate each other," Kaitlyn growled. _Please don't hurt him, if they do I'll kill them!_ Kaitlyn thought. "Why should I care what you do to him."

"You wouldn't care if we slit his throat, slit his wrists, stabbed him in the chest, stabbed him in the head? It wouldn't bother you?" Greed asked in a disturbingly calm and happy voice.

"Rubaina!" Kaitlyn called, just as the large grey cat was about to attack Jera, however, Sloth stepped in. _I'm doomed, I'm going to die. I'm doomed, I'm going to die. I'm doomed, I'm going to die. _The thoughts repeated blankly through Kaitlyn's mind. _They're going to kill Redwing. They've probably already killed Riza, and they'll probably kill Winry and Pinako. They'll kill Envy, and they'll kill Rubaina. They'll make me suffer through losing everyone I care about until I tell them the secrets behind the gate. _Kaitlyn's thoughts raced, making it hard to focus on one too long.

"Greed, can I kill the stupid cat?" Jera begged, her eyes glimmering as she looked at the grey cat laying at her feet.

"Do whatever you want with it, you can throw it off the roof for all I care, just don't let little miss Earth Alchemist escape. Sloth, I need you to go to General Mustang's house and kill his cousin, then bring his body here," Greed commanded.

"Don't you dare kill Rubaina or Redwing, you so much as hurt Redwing or hurt Rubaina anymore then I will kill you," Kaitlyn growled. Jera looked irritated.

"Greed, can I knock her out? She's getting annoying," Jera said.

"Just don't kill her, we need her for a Philosopher's Stone," Greed reminded Jera. Jera used a light rabbit punch to try and knock Kaitlyn out, but only managed to stun her when she hit her neck too low.

_Where are they going, they wouldn't just leave me alive, would they? _Kaitlyn thought. _"Just don't kill her, we need her for a Philosopher's Stone."_ Greed's words echoed through Kaitlyn's head. She couldn't move a muscle and she was about to pass out, but she welcomed the dark quiet of unconsciousness.

* * *

"Kaitlyn, are you okay? Can you hear me?" A slightly familiar voice asked, though Kaitlyn couldn't put a name to the voice she had heard it once or twice before.

"Can't... move... much," Kaitlyn took about a minute to say those three words, but she did say them. Fuery was sitting next to her, he had been the one talking to her. "Is... everyone okay?" She asked.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye had to go to the hospital because she was stabbed in the side and it was bleeding a lot, but she'll recover quickly," Fuery assured Kaitlyn.

"Is Redwing okay?" Kaitlyn was slowly regaining her ability to move and now propped herself up on an elbow.

"We didn't see him, was he here?" Fuery asked, slightly confused.

"No, but they were threatening him, they sent a homunculus after him," Kaitlyn said. Fuery looked concerned.

"I'll have Havoc check on him," Fuery went to the phone in the kitchen and called Havoc. Soon Fuery and Kaitlyn were waiting for Havoc to call back.

* * *

"Redwing was fine, except for a few minor injuries. And it looked as if there had been a fight, half of General Mustang's house was obliterated," Fuery said.

"At least Redwing's okay," Kaitlyn smiled. _If any of them hurt Redwing... or worse... then I'll personally murder them,_ Kaitlyn thought as she petted Rubaina. "Ugh, I have the second part of the exams tomorrow and I guess I'm in charge of fixing this house and Roy's, why me?" Kaitlyn muttered as she got up and walked into the half destroyed bedroom. She walked over to the cot and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. All too soon she was woken up by the blaring of an alarm clock and she got up and quickly bushed her teeth and hair, she had slept in her usual clothes so she didn't have to bother changing that morning. She grabbed her thick, grey jacket and ran out the door sprinting down the sidewalk all the way to the HQ. She went to the room where everyone waited for the interview portion of the exam. She decided to catch up on sleep while she waited to be called up._  
_

"Hey kid, it's your turn," A large man said as he roughly shoved her out of her chair and woke her up.

She growled something inaudible as she walked past the man and to the large doors leading to a dark room with the only light shinning on a three legged chair.

* * *

"Consider her for a serious option," One of the men in charge of the interview said to another as Kaitlyn left.

* * *

"I'm getting worried about Sloth, he's not back yet," Jera pouted as her, Greed, and a rather annoyed Bengalensis sat at the table eating dinner.

"Why worry about that idiot, if he hand't been so worried about you then he would have knocked Kaitlyn out and we could've been out of there without serious injury," Bengalensis growled as he rubbed his arm sorely.

"Jera, I'm sure he'll be back soon," Greed smiled. "And if he captures redwing we can see what Tucker was talking about a perfect chimera." She added with a devilish smile.

"I bet with Kaitlyn, Redwing, and Riza we could create a Philosopher's Stone. And those failed chimera's we already have, in no time we'd have a Philosopher's Stone. And first Tucker could try and use the secrets of the Gate Kaitlyn's seen to bring Nina's soul back," Jera grinned, "Greed, you could finally be human again, and I could be a regular human too! We won't have to rely on Master Tucker for everything anymore."

"And I can finally get back to normal life, and maybe we could use the Philosopher's Stone to amplify Jera's alchemy and destroy the Chimera Villages. What do you guys think, is it a good idea or what?" Bengalensis grinned.

"Mmhmm, that's the best idea I've heard so far," Greed smiled, she seemed to be giving Bengalensis the puppy eyes, which was odd to see in those purple, snakelike eyes.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, hope you liked the story so far, if you find anything I can improve just tell me.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

* * *

Chapter 12

"I brought all of the papers that need your signature like you asked me to," Kaitlyn set the small pile of papers on the bedside table by Riza's hospital bed, "Oh, Roy said get better soon."

"I hope I can get back to work soon, the General will destroy his office before I get back," Riza sighed.

"I told Redwing to take care of the office for awhile, it should be fine," Kaitlyn assured. At the moment she was stuck between putting up with Redwing guarding her, cleaning up the damage to both Roy _and _Riza's homes, she had already done the skills assessment portion of the exams so she just had to wait now, keeping an eye out for Greed, Jera, Bengalensis, and Sloth, and trying to keep Envy from getting caught. She was also stuck assuring General Mustang that his Lieutenant wasn't going to do anything stupid because she was tired of being in the hospital, and assuring Hawkeye that she wouldn't let her superior do anything dumb while she wasn't there to "babysit" him. "See you tomorrow." Kaitlyn yawned as she walked away. She met Redwing outside of the hospital and he walked her home.

"Why did my cousin make _me _look after you? He has Breda, Fallman, Fuery, _and _Havoc!" Redwing grumbled as he was now stuck at Riza's house guarding Kaitlyn.

"He hates you?" Kaitlyn guessed.

"Shut up," Redwing said. Kaitlyn just shrugged innocently.

* * *

"Brother, I miss alchemy," Alphonse sighed as he followed Ed and Noah closely.

"I do too, Al," Ed sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets. They had been living in Germany for a little over six months and Al still hadn't gotten use to not being able to use alchemy.

"Brother, do you think that girl we found and asked Winry to take care of is still alive?" Al asked.

"I don't know, if she is alive she'll probably try something stupid to be back here, though," Ed answered.

_I hope that she lived,_ Al thought.

* * *

"Kaitlyn, you were selected because of your skills to be a State Alchemist," Mustang read the letter to Kaitlyn.

"You mean I'm a State Alchemist?" Kaitlyn stared blankly at Mustang for a moment before she blinked a few times and said, "What is my State Alchemist name?"

"Here, read this," Mustang handed her the note that contained her State Alchemist name.

"Death Alchemist?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Aparently any skills you've shown in fighting so far would've killed your opponent if they weren't a Homunculus," Redwing explained.

"I see," Kaitlyn said.

"Kaitlyn, I have a mission that should be simple enough for a beginner," Mustang said as he looked at a sheet of paper in his hand, "There have been many odd disappearances at a factory south a Central, we need you to go check it out."

"Yes sir," Kaitlyn saluted. Once Kaitlyn and Redwing had left it was just Mustang, and Envy retook his palm tree form.

"She's too easy to fool," Envy cackled.

* * *

"This place gives me the creeps, Redwing," Kaitlyn whispered as she inched closer to Redwing. They were at the factory, which had been abandoned long ago when all the machinery mysteriously broke down.

"Wimp," Redwing said under his breath. Suddenly there was the sound of two sets of footsteps on the other side of one large wall. Now Redwing was feeling uneasy.

"Greed, if they have Sloth can I _please _kill them?" Jera begged.

"You can't kill them, I don't want to be responsible for my own cousin's death. And you know we can't kill the Earth Alchemist," Greed said, "But if they do have Sloth we will get him back."

"Redwing, run!" Kaitlyn immediately took off towards the exit, only to be stopped by a knife catching on her sleeve and pinning her to the door. Redwing ran and no one stopped him. He even stopped and looked at Kaitlyn, who was trapped helplessly by Greed and Jera. He didn't stop to help her, he didn't plan to help her. He was just about to the large doors of the factory when Bengalensis blocked the way.

"I can't let you go and tell our location," Bengalensis laughed as he attacked Redwing.

* * *

"What the heck is going on, I should have regenerated by now," Sloth had barely escaped the fight with Redwing, he had lost half of his Philosopher's Stones and he was weakening with every second. He stumbled weakly through the thin forest he knew would lead him back home. He could barely keep going and he thought he was going to die and not regenerate this time. Soon the old building came into sight and he ran to it, there was a fight going on inside.

"What did you do with Sloth?!" He heard Jera shout inside, and he knew exactly who they were fighting. He rushed inside.

"Be careful, Greed! The chimera has the transmutation circle to kill a homunculus!" Sloth warned before running over to Jera to help her fight Kaitlyn.

"Slothy, what happened to you?" Jera squealed.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Sloth panted as he turned an arm to water and trapped Kaitlyn's head, keeping her from breathing. He waited until she passed out before releasing and he tied her up tightly.

"You got her, I got the chimera, we're good," Greed nodded. They went underground to the series of tunnels where the two homunculi, two chimeras, and their master lived.

"Master Tucker will be proud of us for winning that fight," Jera smiled as she helped Sloth walk down the halls.

"He'll kill me when he finds out I wasted a good hundred incomplete Philosopher's Stones, though," Sloth winced.

"What did you mean by cousin, Greed?" Redwing growled as he followed behind Kaitlyn with Jera and Sloth behind him keeping him from running.

"Didn't my brother ever tell you he had siblings? You had other cousins?" Greed's lips curled into a terrifyingly mad smile.

"I think he mentioned it once," Redwing said.

"When he was ten, I died. His older brother and him tried Human Transmutation to bring me back, and his brother lost his body. My brother left me, the sick and horrid creation that was in that transmutation circle and he ran from that home forever. I was lucky when a woman by the name of Dante found me, but she quickly abandoned me do to my unpredictable behavior. All of those seven homunculi called me a failure, an insult to our kind. All because my brother was too much of a coward to face his mistake, to face what happened because he didn't stop his older brother!" Greed snarled, her snakelike eyes narrowed and dangerous. "You know, it's his fault your an orphan, Redwing. He abandoned you too, didn't he? He can't face his mistakes, he just moves on when he's stuck with a responsibility. I used to be the one who took care of him!" Greed punched one of the tunnel walls, causing the whole tunnel around them to tremble and the lights to flash.

"He left me so he could learn alchemy and join the military, not because I was a mistake, even though it was his fault my parents died I don't blame him for that. Don't think I'm not aware of what happened to my parents and who did it, Greed, I should blame you more than him because it was you who killed, but his fault that he left you," Redwing growled, his black eyes glimmered dangerously. "And what happened to me because of it." He added dangerously.

"Get moving, _cousin_," Greed smiled dangerously as she yanked Redwing along by his messy, black hair. "Jera, make sure that little miss Earth Alchemist doesn't escape," Greed commanded as she branched off from the group, dragging Redwing and following Bengalensis.

"Master Tucker, may Greed and I come in?" Bengalensis pounded his fist on the door.

"Enter," A quiet, raspy voice answered. Bengalensis opened the door and stepped aside to let Greed through.

"Do you remember that baby we turned into a chimera all those years ago, before the Military turned you into _that_? Well now you can see the results," Greed said as she yanked Redwing to stand next to her.

"Does he have the markings on his shoulders?" Shou Tucker asked.

"Yes," Greed nodded as she tugged Redwing's sleeve up his shoulder to reveal the dark red marking the covered his shoulder from the base of his neck to half way down his upper arm.

"Have you fought him? Was he stronger than a regular human?" Tucker rasped.

"Yes sir, he is much stronger than a regular human. And his agility is twice that of a normal human," Bengalensis reported, bowing his head respectfully to his master.

"Master Tucker, I have not seen him transform into his unconfined chimera form," Greed reported.

"He must choose to change on his own, but he will," Tucker said.

"What the heck is wrong with you people?! I'm not a chimera," Redwing said as he tried to duck under Greed's hand and free his hair.

"You know you are, you can cut the act," Greed chuckled, "Or maybe you've been telling yourself that you're not a chimera for so long that that's become the truth for you."

"Or maybe you people are mental," Redwing glared at the black-haired homunculus.

* * *

"Now that you've captured Redwing and I, what do you plan on achieving by it?" Kaitlyn asked.

"We need more ingredients to form a complete Philosopher's Stone, and you and him are perfect. An alchemist who's seen the Gate, and chimera who is a master alchemist. And we can use you two as hostages as well," Jera smirked.

"Jera, sure you should tell her that?" Sloth asked as he locked Kaitlyn in one of the many cage like cells lining the walls of the large, stone room.

"She'll be killed soon enough, why not?" Jera asked, her normally innocent and childlike nature was replaced by a sickeningly calm one.

* * *

A/N: Please review, thanks. And if you see anything I could work on tell me. Hope you enjoy.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

* * *

Chapter 13

"Redwing, you okay?" Kaitlyn asked as they roughly shoved Redwing into the cell with her. She hadn't sounded worried, just like she wanted to know.

"Yeah," He nodded.

"What were they saying about you being a chimera?" Kaitlyn asked, tilting her head to one side.

"They thought I was a chimera that escaped," He shrugged.

"That's odd, I've never really seen anyone else who looks like you, and what was with them talking about you being related to Greed?" Kaitlyn asked innocently.

"Stop bugging me," Redwing said coldly as he retreated to a corner of the cell to try and sleep.

"Okay," Kaitlyn said as she went to another corner and took off her jacket, laying it on the cold floor and wrapping the thick, heavy fabric around herself. She liked to think that she would eventually fall asleep, but even long after she heard Redwing's breath steady to a sleep like pattern she couldn't sleep, she couldn't get her mind off of the dark walls around her and the cold metal bars in front of her. She would find a steady noise to pay attention to and get drowsy before some sound of the labs surrounding this prison would disturb her calming thoughts. She eventually just focused on Redwing's breathing and decided to see if she could breathe at the same speed. That actually got her to sleep.

* * *

"Hayate, leave it," Riza said firmly as Hayate was growling at Rubaina, the two looked as if they were about ready to attack each other. Without Kaitlyn around to keep Rubaina out f trouble Rubaina had been causing fights all day.

* * *

"Redwing?" Kaitlyn whispered, it was the middle of the night and it was so cold in the underground lair that both Kaitlyn and Redwing could see their breath.

"Yeah," Redwing answered.

"Do you know why they wanted us?" Kaitlyn asked, watching her breath fog the air in front of her.

"They plan to use your knowledge of the gate and alchemy to create a Philosopher's Stone, and they'll use one of us as a body to create the stone in, and the other as part of the ingredients.," Redwing said, his calm tone sending shivers up Kaitlyn's spine.

"You really are a chimera, aren't you?" Kaitlyn whispered, pulling her jacked closer around herself.

"Yes, when I was really young Greed killed my parents and brought me to Master Tucker as a test subject. When their old hideout was raided they left me, by then I was about two and my cousin Roy recognized me, so he was stuck taking care of me, being my last living relative and all," Redwing sighed, as of that moment only one person not involved with Greed and Tucker knew about Redwing being a chimera. "Roy figured that the marks on my shoulders were just scars from whatever had happened to me while I was there, but as I got older I noticed I had major anger issues, and I started to notice birds flocking to me and cats attacking my feet. I guess they just sensed I was different. Eventually I figured something was up and did some research into chimeras. I figured that I'm a chimera and then I started to remember when Greed had talked to me all sweet like I was her own little brother, I guess she really wanted Roy to see her as the same older sister she was when she was alive. I guess I'm boring you, aren't I?" Redwing noticed how quiet Kaitlyn had gotten.

"No, I was just thinking," Kaitlyn said. She wondered if Redwing really wanted to talk about it, and if this environment was hard on him. "What type of animal are you mixed with?" She asked.

"A redwing blackbird," Redwing grinned, his dark eyes glimmered in the darkness.

"I knew you reminded me of that!" Kaitlyn laughed. Even there they could find something to laugh about. "No wonder I always thought it was you stealing stuff from me, until I figured out that Rubaina liked shiny objects like jewelry and scraps of shiny metal." Kaitlyn added in amusement.

"Just because I'm crossed with a bird doesn't mean I like shiny things," Redwing said.

"I guess, and no wonder Rubaina hated you," Kaitlyn added.

"Why do cats and dogs love you?" Redwing asked.

"Dogs hate me and most cats use my leg as a scratching post, I guess cats like automail," Kaitlyn shrugged.

"I've seen at least five dogs following you before," Redwing said.

"I had a steak sandwich, I guess they wanted steak," Kaitlyn said.

"If only we had gotten along this well before we were locked in a cell together, we could have drove my cousin crazy if we worked together," Redwing laughed.

"Yeah," Kaitlyn grinned. She sighed and rolled over to face the cold metal bars, wrapping her jacket tighter around herself. "I'm gonna try and get a little sleep." She stated quietly.

"Okay, good night," Redwing said.

_If I find a way to get home, I'll have to leave Winry, Riza, Mustang, Redwing, everyone. I don't want to, they actually understand my knowledge and I can do something helpful in this world, _Kaitlyn thought as she stared through the dark at one of the cells on the other wall. It contained a young girl, no more than five, with messy brownish blonde hair and clear green eyes. She had her hair in messy pigtails and it looked as if they had been that way for awhile. THe girl had her knees hugged to her chest and she was whimpering quietly.

"You have a silver watch like daddy's friend Roy," The girl stated, noticing the reflection of light off of the silver watch.

"Yeah, who's your dad, I might know him," Kaitlyn smiled.

"My daddy can't go to work anymore, mommy says he won't come back home because he's dead," The girl said.

"I'm sorry. What's your name?" Kaitlyn asked, hoping to get a happy conversation going.

"My name is Elacia," The girl smiled slightly, her green eyes brightening.

"That's a pretty name, I'm Kaitlyn," Kaitlyn grinned sweetly, she wondered how Greed and her team could possibly use a little girl in experiments, whether it was creating a chimera, ingredients for a Philosopher's Stone, or bonding her soul to an inanimate object, Kaitlyn couldn't see how anyone could lock a small child in a cell like that, especially one who lost her father.

"The scary black-haired girl says she'll let me out of here soon and I can see my mommy, I hope they let you go too," Elacia smiled.

Kaitlyn felt like she had been punched, her breath caught in her throat and she gagged a little. _They told her they were letting her go, but they aren't, they're going to use her as an ingredient in the Stone, _Kaitlyn thought.

* * *

_I won't let them use Elacia in the Stone, or anyone else if I can help it, _Kaitlyn thought desperately as she was led to a large transmutation circle along with Redwing and many other captives and failed chimeras. Suddenly Greed and Bengalensis moved Kaitlyn from the rest of the group.

"Her soul is strong enough to sustain the Stone, and she's weak enough that we can use the Stone whenever we want and she can't overpower us," Greed was explaining to Bengalensis why Kaitlyn was going to be made into a human Philosopher's Stone. They moved Kaitlyn to the center of the transmutation circle.

"Jera, now please," Greed said once her and Bengalensis were out of the circle.

_I can't use alchemy, it'll kill everyone. But how can I save Redwing and Elacia? _Kaitlyn thought desperately, her mind racing. Her eyes darted. She knew Jera was about to activate the circle. She kicked her shoe off and kicked it hard enough to knock Elacia out of the circle, and Redwing had already escaped when Greed wasn't looking. Just then the circle lit up and a red light filled the room. Shou Tucker walked in, his twisted chimera form wasn't an odd sight to the small group of two homunculi and two chimera who stood in front of him.

"_Master _Tucker, I hope you don't mind but you aren't in charge of us anymore. Thanks for building me my new team. But I'm afraid you aren't getting our little Philosopher's Stone, she's far too important," Greed smirked, the small knife she always carried was pressed against Tucker's throat, which was hard for Greed to reach considering he was twisted over the back of a chimera. "You can just leave peacefully and let us have the Stone, or I'll kill you." A devilish smirk spread across Greed's face as her purple eyes gleamed.

* * *

A/N: MWAHAHAHAHA! CLIFFHANGER! Sorry, had to be done. Thanks for the reviews and all people. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. And stay tuned to see what becomes of Tucker and our new Philosopher's Stone Kaitlyn! Elacia made an appearance, hope you liked it.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I've been really dull with my disclaimer, I really don't need to say it, if I owned it this would have happened in the series by now.

* * *

Chapter 14

_Don't die here Kaitlyn, _Redwing thought as he pressed himself into a corner behind a wall, he had Elacia next to him and was hugging her close so she wouldn't move or make a sound. He watched the scene of Greed threatening her master unfolding.

"Now leave you worthless chimera," Greed hissed as Tucker scrambled away. "I've had enough of that pest promising us a Stone, he'll just use it to try and bring back that worthless daughter of his." Greed said as she put the knife back in her pocket and turned to look at her team.

"Wow Greed, that was impressive," Bengalensis looked slightly frightened.

"Thanks Bengal," She smiled sweetly and walked past. "Jera, Sloth, do me a favor and lock our Philosopher's Stone back up." Greed smiled and walked out of the room.

"See you guys later, I've gotta make dinner," Bengal said as he walked away.

"Elacia, stay here and stay quiet no matter what, if I don't come back in ten minutes I need you to escape on your own and try and find your way back to Central," Redwing whispered quietly to Elacia.

She nodded.

"I'll be back," Redwing said as he slipped away from the hidden corner where he had been sitting. He slipped stealthily around Jera and Sloth, who were talking about something. Redwing got out his alchemy gloves and clapped, connecting two of the circles, he pressed his hands on the ground which turned into a hand of rock that surrounded Sloth and Jera. Sloth still couldn't escape from that because he hadn't recovered from his fight with Redwing.

"Greed!" Jera shouted.

"I'd stop calling for help if I were you, the door is sealed," Redwing said. He made his way over to Kaitlyn, picked her up and carried her over his shoulder. He went and got Elacia before he transmuted a hole in the wall and left.

* * *

"Sir, I'm getting worried about Kaitlyn. It was a simple mission and she's been gone for over a week-" Riza was saying before she was cut off by Mustang.

"What are you talking about?" Roy asked, confusion showed on his face.

"The mission you sent Kaitlyn on, to the factory south of Central," Riza was looking at him like he was stupid.

"I never sent her on a mission, I didn't even have a chance to tell her she was a State Alchemist yet," Mustang answered.

"Then who would have sent her on that mission?!" Riza was getting relatively irritated by Roy's careless forgetfulness.

* * *

"My feet hurt, can we stop walking for a minute?" Elacia asked, resting her weight more on one foot than the other.

"Okay," Redwing said, he watched Elacia quietly sit on a rock and look at the sky. He walked over to the rock to sit by Elacia, he set Kaitlyn down against the rock.

"Redwing, where the heck are we?" Kaitlyn asked, sitting up and looking around.

"Finally, I won't have to carry you anymore," Redwing gave a fake cheer, "We're somewhere near Central, I think."

"You _think_?" Kaitlyn gave him an annoyed glare.

"Sorry, I don't have the best sense of direction in the world," He shrugged, "But, yes, I think we're close to Central."

* * *

"OW!" Kaitlyn yelped as she fell through a thorn bush, her automail leg had locked up again.

"You okay?" Redwing asked, poking his head over the bush to see Kaitlyn laying at the bottom of a steep hill.

"I think so," She groaned as she sat up. She dusted herself off and scrambled up the hill. "Dang, my automail's still locked up, it normally unsticks once I've fallen over," She sighed and tapped a loose wire, allowing her to move her leg again.

"Kaitlyn, I'm sleepy," Elacia yawned and stumbled a little as she walked.

"Want me to carry you?" Kaitlyn asked.

Elacia nodded as she sleepily rubbed her eyes.

"Why don't you go back to Resembool and get it fixed?" Redwing asked.

"Well, Winry messed up when she was making the leg, and connecting the entire automail to the leg. She'd have to do a surgery to take the original connection off of my leg and the she'd have to reattach a new one, not going through that again," Kaitlyn said as she walked behind Redwing. Elacia had fallen asleep by now.

"Hey, see that?" Redwing asked, looking through a break in the trees at the dark sky.

"See what?" Kaitlyn asked, peering over his shoulder.

"There's a dim light that way, maybe we're close!" Redwing said and dashed off down the path. Kaitlyn followed slower so she wouldn't wake up Elacia. Soon they reached the edge of the dense trees, and sure enough they were at the suburbs of Central City.

"Yay, now we just have to walk all the way to Riza's apartment," Kaitlyn gave a sarcastic cheer.

"No, we can find a phone and call my cousin, he might find it in his heart to come pick us up," Redwing said as he began leading Kaitlyn along the sidewalk.

"Hand over your silver watch," A tall girl with a transmutation glove said, she looked frightened and her eyes were covered by her hair, giving her a menacing appearance.

"I'm having a really bad day, I don't need some idiot making it worse," Kaitlyn's eyes twitched as she handed Elacia to Redwing.

"What can you do about it, you don't have a weapon," The girl said shakily, "And you can't exactly draw a transmutation circle when it's the middle of a fight."

"Who said I needed a transmutation circle?" Kaitlyn grinned and clapped her hands, pressing them on the ground and encasing th girl in concrete. She took Elacia back and followed Redwing.

"Remind me never to mess with you when you're having a bad day," Redwing said.

"Yeeaaahhhh," Kaitlyn smiled creepily.

"You're kinda terrifying when you're mad," Redwing shrank away from Kaitlyn.

"Good, don't make me mad," Kaitlyn nodded. They sank into a welcome silence, they each needed time to think about what had happened at Tucker's lab.

_Am I really a Philosopher's Stone? Do I really have all those souls attached to mine? _Kaitlyn thought as she walked, surrounded by cool air and city noises.

_If she is a Philosopher's Stone, then how long until she's tapped into that power too much and it rebounds? _Redwing thought, glancing at Kaitlyn, who was following him quietly and watching her feet as she walked, _And how will she react to having all those souls combined with her own?_

_All those people had lives of their own, and I stole them, I've taken those people from their families. What right did I have to do that? NO! What right did Greed and Jera have to do that? _Kaitlyn thought bitterly, she felt warm tears burning the back of her eyes and making her throat hurt. She took a few deep breaths, relieving the tension in her chest, she was about to cry and she didn't want to, she didn't deserve to after what happened to the others that had been captured by Greed and Jera.

_Kaitlyn's an idiot if she's blaming herself, _Redwing thought sadly when he heard Kaitlyn trying not to cry. "You know you can cry if you need to, right?" He broke the thoughtful silence.

"I'll wait awhile before I totally break down," Kaitlyn smiled sadly as she followed Redwing closely. They finally came across a pay phone. Redwing dialed Mustang's number, he hadn't expected his cousin to answer, considering it was two in the morning and Roy would probably be trying to sleep.

"Who is this and why are you calling so late?" Mustang snapped as he picked up the phone.

"Roy, do you think you could come pick Kaitlyn and I up? We've been walking since two yesterday and we don't think we'll make it home before sunrise," Redwing asked.

"Where are you?" Roy asked.

"We're by that bridge that runs through the edge of town," Redwing answered. Soon they were waiting for Mustang to pick them up.

"I swear, if that's what he calls a _simple _job, I don't want to see a hard one," Kaitlyn growled. Neither her nor Redwing had mentioned anything about the Philosopher's Stone, and they didn't plan to tell anyone. If people knew they wouldn't care about Kaitlyn's safety, they'd just use the Stone to their advantage and let Kaitlyn die.

"I hope he'll let me get back to my life after this, you need someone who's trained to protect you, not me," Redwing yawned.

* * *

"Greed, I'm sorry but we let her get away, I'm sorry," Jera whimpered as she explained what had happened.

"Go after them, Sloth, stay here. Jera, I'm going to send Bengal with you, he can fight Redwing and win," Greed said, turning to go talk to Bengalensis about her plan.

"Come on Jera, I'm gonna kill that chimera for taking the title perfect chimera," Bengalensis said as he walked towards the ladder out of the underground lab. Jera followed, golden eyes determined.

* * *

"I'm glad Elacia finally got home," Kaitlyn smiled as she was sitting at the dinner table in Hawkeye's apartment. Redwing was sitting at one end of the table, poking uninterestedly at the burned food on his plate, "And I think I should be the one cooking dinner next time, you nearly cut your finger off and Riza nearly burned the kitchen down." Kaitlyn smiled.

"I'm just glad I'm not gonna be stuck cooking every night while I'm stuck guarding you, I didn't trust my cousin near anything in the kitchen, considering he couldn't even make toast without starting a small fire," Redwing sighed.

"If you really don't like burnt food I can make you something, I don't burn everything to a crisp," Kaitlyn smiled.

"No, I'm used to burnt food, I'm just not hungry," Redwing shook his head and continued to poke his food uninterestedly, "And why haven't you even touched your food?"

"Not hungry," Kaitlyn said, she hardly even looked at the plate of food in front of her. "Redwing..." Kaitlyn looked up hesitantly as she took a deep breath and began to speak, "When I was cornered by Jera and Greed in that factory and you were running, were you just gonna leave me? Or were you going to get help?"

The look in Kaitlyn's eyes hurt Redwing, the sad arch of her eyebrows and the look of hopeful sorrow. He answered, "I _was _going to leave, I didn't want to worry about you anymore. But I'm sorry, if I were to go back and change that situation I wouldn't have made a run for it."

"Okay, thanks for being truthful," Kaitlyn said sadly as she got up and went to her room, she shut the door, and Redwing didn't bother trying to cheer her up.

_I'm an idiot. Idiot! Idiot! _He thought, _She tried to be nice and I was such a jerk, and then I was gonna leave her to be killed or experimented on by Greed and Jera._

* * *

"This way Jera," Bengalensis said as he called Jera back from the alleyway she had chased a mouse into.

"Sorry, leopard half kinda took over," She smiled a sweet, innocent smile. She continued to follow Bengal quietly, her bangs falling in front of her eyes no matter how she tried to tuck them behind her ears. When they got closer to their goal, they began to move more stealthily, Jera could hide like no one else, her leopard genes allowing her to climb a nearly ninety degree angle wall or surface, and she could hide surprisingly well, considering her hair was bright blonde and her eyes were bright gold. "I'll take it from here, Bengal, you just keep Redwing distracted." Jera whispered.

Bengalensis nodded.

Jera silently slipped away, she was going to get Rubaina and Hayate to start acting odd, Hayate would because he'd smell cat, Rubaina just seemed to hate chimera's. Jera transmuted a small portion of brick away from the wall so she could sit there, and soon enough she heard Rubaina hissing and Hayate yapping. The window opened and Kaitlyn looked around, trying to see what made the dog and cat go crazy all of a sudden and she was kicked in the back of the head, causing her to slip. Jera caught her by the back of her jacked and carefully climbed back to ground level.

* * *

A/N: Haha, another cliffhanger, I'm so evil. I know you guys are reading it, and I'm really grateful for that, but please review.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Yeah, you know

* * *

Chapter 15

"Kaitlyn?" Redwing shouted after he heard Rubaina and Hayate barking.

There was a long silence.

"Kaitlyn?" Redwing said as he tried to open the door, only to find Kaitlyn had locked it. He sighed and walked back to the front room. There was a knock at the door and Redwing knew Riza would answer it, and just as the door opened there was the sound of a fist making contact with a head, and then Bengalensis just strolled in.

"Hey, perfect chimera," He grinned venomously, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"Not you guys again, what did you do with Kaitlyn?" Redwing growled, not even he knew if he hated Kaitlyn or not, but he was angry at anyone who hurt her.

"I didn't do anything with the Earth Alchemist, wait, her new name is Death Alchemist, isn't it? I guess I should address her by that now," Bengalensis smirked.

"Then where is she?" Redwing growled.

"I think Jera's probably half way to our base by now, with Death Alchemist," Bengalensis smiled as he dodged a punch from Redwing and leaped into the air, landing behind Redwing.

_Why am I so scared right now? _Redwing thought, trying to keep his hands from trembling.

"Are you scared little blackbird?" Bengalensis smirked.

"N-no," Redwing growled, looking for an escape. _I don't think I've ever been this scared, and why is everyone calling me _perfect _chimera? How could one human chimera be different?_

"You seem confused, didn't you know that the bird's soul is still in your body, the bird didn't die like the fox used to create me, the leopard used to create Jera. I guess you never noticed, but it is still there, it probably still tries to sing and fly like it did before it was bound with your body. Of course, I would have liked to have known the fox that was used in me, I could be so much more powerful if I still had that fox's soul in me, not a muddled mix of animal and human," Bengalensis explained, and when Redwing was just trying to take in all the information he knocked him out.

* * *

_"_Maybe with your Philosopher's Stone we can turn Sloth human again, and then he won't die so soon," Jera said thoughtfully, half talking to Kaitlyn half thinking aloud. _If Greed won't let me use the Stone on him he'll die because of Redwing, I can't let him die, _Jera thought sadly as she walked. Soon the abandoned building came into view and Jera walking into the old, unstable building and walked to the ladder down to the lab. She dropped Kaitlyn to the bottom then slid down the ladder herself. "I hope Bengal has killed that chimera friend of yours." Jera pouted, her eyes glinted with anger.

"Ow..." Kaitlyn mumbled into the ground as Jera walked past her, she was still on the ground from when she had been thrown down the ladder. Jera grabbed Kaitlyn's wrist and began to drag her to one of the prison cells in the biggest room.

"Good job, Jera," Greed praised the young, cat chimera.

"Thanks, and I think Bengal is probably winning the fight about now, so he should be back soon," Jera said brightly.

* * *

"Why does he have to be part fox?!" Redwing muttered as he skidded around a corner and slammed into a wall, he picked up speed once again and continued to run. He had somehow gotten to ground level, he thought he could have possibly jumped out of the window but his mind was racing too much to remember. Suddenly he stopped, there was a sharp pain that overtook his entire body. "What now, what's happening?" He panted and rested against a wall.

"You hadn't figured it out before? As soon as you turn to the bird side of yourself for help then it'll slowly shatter your soul," Bengalensis had been in front of Redwing the whole time, waiting to ambush him with fox like agility.

"How-?" Redwing was cut off.

"That bird soul is still alive, it's trying to take over, be the dominant soul. It's a war between your soul and the bird soul, it's gonna start wearing down your soul and it'll kill you in a few years," Bengalensis smirked, "I thought a master alchemist would've figured that out by now."

"Well, I'l just have to kill you all within a few years," Redwing had his transmutation gloves hidden in his back pocket, he clapped his hands, connecting the circles on the gloves and slammed them on the ground. He trapped Bengalensis in a cage of rock. "I'll just have to kill you once I rescue my friend." And with that he left, running faster than he ever had in his life, he felt so weightless, like a bird. _Gotta help Kaitlyn, _He thought as he ran, he was getting closer to the edges of Central City and closer to the forest where Greed's lair was hidden.

"I can't let you hurt my friends, Redwing," Bengalensis effortlessly caught up with Redwing and was now running in front of him. He skidded to a halt and turned around, kicking Redwing in the gut to bring him to a crashing halt.

"And I can't let any of you freaks hurt my friend. I was gonna wait awhile to kill you, but I guess I'll just have to kill you now," Redwing was breathing hard from running so far, he knew that if he did run he'd never be able to beat Bengalensis to the underground lab. He transmuted a sword from the ground.

"A weapon, why not just rely on the animal skills of your chimera form," Bengalensis grinned as he morphed into a more animal chimera, he looked a lot like a bengal fox, with sharp fangs that glimmered when he pulled his lips back into a smile. His long tail waved through the air behind him and he looked at Redwing with creepily human like eyes. "You've never transformed into your chimera form, have you?" He let out an unnatural cackle as he lunged at Redwing, digging his claws into Redwings arm and side.

"I do have the strength of a chimera, but that's all I need," Redwing punched Bengalensis in the side of the face, tossing him away to the cement. Bengal transformed back, he ran towards the dense trees, to warn his friends no doubt. Redwing felt a sharp pain take over his body again.

"How am I supposed to change into my full chimera form?" He panted as he jogged along the sidewalk, his body too exhausted to keep up a steady, fast pace. His sides burned from not getting enough oxygen, his heart was working overtime to pump blood. He didn't want to, but it might help him run faster right now. Again, he felt the pain of the bird's soul slowly chipping away at his. He was dodging trees and getting deeper into the forest. Soon he saw the building come into sight, but to his horror the entire place was on fire. _I hope it hasn't spread to the underground tunnels,_ He panted as he ran to the edge of the trees. He looked at the fire and wondered how he could stop it.

* * *

"There, Greed. I burned the factory and made sure to seal the entrance, no one'll be able to find us," Jera smiled.

"Good job, and let's hope Bengal remember's exactly where the entrance is," Greed smiled.

"You hope I remember? Wow, I thought you knew I had a better memory than that," Bengal said, he had gotten there shortly after Jera had sealed the entrance.

"Greed, I know a way we can test the Philosopher's Stone's power, we could try and turn Sloth human with it, can we try? I can use that type of alchemy," Jera gave Greed the puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, just don't kill her, as long as we keep her alive then the Stone will fix itself with a little time," Greed shrugged.

"Jera, are you sure you won't kill me?" Sloth asked nervously.

"Of course, I can manipulate living things with my alchemy, it's really not too hard," Jera said, "Think of all the chimeras I created for Master Tucker."

"Okay," Sloth nodded, he looked exhausted, but he had a bright light of excitement in his eyes. From the day he had learned what he was, he wanted to be human again. Jera had set to work, drawing a transmutation circle on the floor.

"Done!" Jera grinned brightly as she stood up, she walked to Kaitlyn's cell and dragged Kaitlyn, who had been knocked out shortly after falling down the ladder, to the edge of the circle. "Sloth, are you ready?" Jera asked.

Sloth nodded.

Jera pressed her hands on the edge of the circle and a blue light filled the room. When all was done Kaitlyn's automail had completely disappeared to the knee, whenever Jera had stood she walked cautiously to Sloth.

"Slothy?" She asked quietly as she shook his shoulder.

"Ugh, my head hurts," He mumbled, his previously purple, snakelike eyes had turned muddy brown.

"Sloth!" Jera flung her arms around his shoulders, "You're alive!"

_Crash!_ All heads, except for those who were conscious, turned to the hallway. The fading light of a transmutation brightened the hall.

"I'll give you idiots one chance to leave Kaitlyn and I alone, if you don't, then I will personally kill all of you," Redwing growled, his eyes had a small ring of gold and brown in place of the previously black iris, much like a bird's eyes.

"Sloth, we can take him," Jera whispered into Sloth's ear.

Sloth nodded.

"Not a chance, stupid bird," Jera growled as she began to change into a full chimera form. Her face elongated into a box-like muzzle with sharp fangs, thin leopard pattern fur sprouted along her face, neck, arms and legs. She was smaller and agiler than before, and more of a threat. Jera seemed to melt in and out of the shadows, her breathing was silent and her attacks were precise. She had finally reached a spot where she could attack Redwing, but he hopped effortlessly back. He jumped forward, clapped his hands, connecting the circles on the gloves, and pressed his hands on the ground, sending jutting pillars of rock up and trapping Jera between the roof and rock.

"Jera!" Sloth shouted, he quickly pulled a gun from a holster at his side. He aimed it at Redwing, "Surrender now, I have better aim with a gun that the famed Riza Hawkeye herself."

"Really? 'Cause I think you're bluffing," Redwing said, his face dead serious.

"Maybe I am lying, but I can still kill you," Sloth said, his hands were shaking.

"You really shouldn't bluff right now. I just have to clap my hands and I can kill her," Redwing said.

"Don't kill her, please! She's the only one in the world who would ever care about me! I can't live without her," Sloth said.

The expression on Redwing's face went from angry and serious to pitying, "Really care about her that much." He sighed.

"Sloth you idiot! What the heck are you doing?!" Bengalensis, who had just returned from resealing the entrance and letting Greed make sure it was sealed, growled, "Let Jera die if she's this weak."

"If that were Greed and she could die would you say that?" Sloth asked coldly as he turned to face the tall chimera.

"Why should it make a difference?" Bengalensis said cooly. No one saw Greed peer around the door frame to hear Bengalensis's answer, but when he said it she glared at him the left, not once entering the room.

"Redwing, I promise we'll return Kaitlyn if you just let Jera down, safely," Sloth said, he had a plan.

"Why the heck-"

"Bengal, shut up and go take care of the animal chimeras or something," Sloth glared. Bengal just shrugged and left, sensing that Sloth had a plan.

"Please, Redwing! Sloth always keeps his word," Jera said as she squirmed around, pinned between the rock and the ceiling.

"Okay," Redwing nodded, his expression blank. He clapped his hands and pressed the gloves against the ground, releasing Jera to fall limply to the ground.

"Wow, you really are stupid," Sloth sneered and there was the sound of a gunshot.

* * *

A/N: Mwahaha! Cliffy :P

Reply time! Yay!

Darknessinlight: You're so nice! Thank you! I know a lot about foxes, yeah, I plan on writing a book series about foxes in the future so yeah. I think Jera could be a dog-cat chimera, but that'd be weird. I think Den might be a girl but I don't truly know if it states (his for now) gender. I'm glad you predicted Redwing's being a chimera, he's my favorite to write for in this story! :D Thanks so much for reviewing! And be prepared for Redwing's chimera side to become a big part of this story.

Now for a little note to everyone! Okay, so next time I reply to reviews I have a plan for something funny, just trust me it'll be hilarious, so please review so I can give you a funny reply! :D


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, if I did then this would have been part of the series.

* * *

Chapter 16

"No, I'd say you're the stupid one," Redwing sneered arrogantly after he had ducked clear under the bullet.

Sloth gaped, _how can anyone move that fast? How could he dodge that?_ He thought.

"I gave you a chance, I would've let you go, but, you just had to go and do that," Redwing shook his head.

* * *

_He wouldn't even care if I were about to be killed. Would he have saved me if I had been in a similar situation to Jera? Would he leave me to die? _Greed thought hopelessly as she walked. She had left and was now walking towards Central City. She just wanted to walk around for awhile, but she heard the sound of a knife blade on concrete and followed it.

"I'll kill her when I get out of here," A tall, skinny girl with black hair growled to herself as she tried to cut away at the concrete surrounding her, she had a distrustful look about her and her body language was jumpy and tense.

"What happened?" Greed asked.

"None of your business!" The girl snapped.

"Who did this?" Greed asked, "I might be able to help you get revenge if it was a State Alchemist by the name of Kaitlyn Bracken, Death Alchemist."

"Yeah, she had a silver pocket watch and could transmute without a circle," The girl said as she still tried to get free. She eventually looked rather annoyed and red sparks of light surrounded her. After that she disappeared. She reappeared next to the concrete.

"I see you're a homunculus," Greed said, spotting the Ouroborus mark on the girls neck.

"So what, you gonna take me back to the military so I can be experimented on more?" She growled.

"No, any homunculus who needs help is my friend, I'm a homunculus as well," Greed said, "Come with me."

"How do I know I can trust you?" The girl asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I'm a homunculus too," Greed said, holding out her right hand to show the Ouroborus.

* * *

"This fight is getting no where," Jera growled, her and Redwing had been attacking back and forth for the past hour when they heard two sets of footsteps coming down the hall to that room.

"I need you to kill the black haired chimera," Greed said.

"Okay," The girl nodded and red sparks of light surrounded, her disappeared and reappeared behind Redwing. She kicked him hard in the back and knocked him face first to the ground. She flipped over him and landed gracefully before she kicked him hard across the room. Redwing finally managed to regain his footing and stand up, he used alchemy to create a sword. "Good idea, alchemy!" The girl grinned and clapped her hands, pressing them to the ground.

Everyone gaped as she created a sword from the ground, just like Redwing had. She tried to stab him but she let her guard down and he stabbed her. For a second she was still, and that was all the time Redwing needed to grab Kaitlyn and escape.

* * *

"Redwing, didn't you say you weren't an alchemist?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Oh, I meant I wasn't planning on becoming a State Alchemist," Redwing chuckled as he resewed one of the circles on his gloves. The thread had tore out.

"I'm glad you don't, I swear this is the most stressful thing I've ever done," Kaitlyn sighed as she finished writing a report of the case of the factory, "Oh, and get this, your cousin says he never even told me I was a State Alchemist! You were right there!"

"Maybe he's got short-term memory loss or some stupid human issue like that," Envy shrugged.

"I think that Roy's just slept through more work than he can make up," Redwing said.

"It could always be worse, Redwing," Kaitlyn smiled, "At least I'll have someone to use as a meat-shield other than you when I go to get my automail fixed. I hear Winry almost kill Edward Elric with a wrench at one point or another, he had to be admitted to a hospital."

"Who told you that?" Redwing asked as he lazily tossed his gloves onto a table beside him and stretched back.

"Sergeant Brosh, why?" Kaitlyn asked as she sketched thoughtlessly on a piece of scrap paper.

"Hm, he exaggerates all the time," Redwing said.

"Hey Kaitlyn, can I come with you and the bird to Resembool? I'm getting bored of staying in the same place all the time," Envy said.

"Sure, but you'll have to hide," Kaitlyn smiled.

Redwing's lazy expression suddenly looked as if he had been sentenced to death, "We have to take _it _with us?" He groaned in annoyance.

"Have a problem with that you stupid bird?" Envy growled.

"Yes, I do, because you keep calling me a bird!" Redwing shouted, "And besides, what guy in his right mind would wear a mini-skirt?"

"Shut up," Envy growled.

"Palm tree," Redwing growled.

"Stupid bird," Envy glared.

"Knock it off, you two!" Kaitlyn growled as she began rummaging through her backpack and reappeared with Bryan the Notebook in her hands. She slapped both boys across the face with the thick, blank book and the returned it to her bag.

"Ow," Redwing muttered indignantly as he rubbed the side of his face.

"Next time I won't do it lightly," Kaitlyn growled as she put the book back up.

"Kaitlyn, are you okay?" Riza called from the other room when she heard the loud crash of Bryan the Notebook making contact with flesh.

"Yes, I just dropped my notebook," Kaitlyn said and then returned to her conversation with Envy and Redwing. It had been two days since Kaitlyn had been rescued from Greed and her team.

"I wonder who my cousin is gonna send to guard you, for your sake I hope it is neither Armstrong, nor Havoc. I think either one of them would drive you insane on the train ride there," Redwing sighed, "I _really _hope he doesn't choose Armstrong. The hugging."

"Yeah, I hope it's not Armstrong, that would be torture," Kaitlyn nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Poor child! You can't get back to your home and you've lost a leg, how tragic!" Armstrong said while he crushed Kaitlyn in a near death grip hug.

"Redwing, help," Kaitlyn begged quietly, her voice nearly lost under Armstrong's voice.

"Sorry, but I'm at as much of a risk of being hugged as you and I'd much rather not draw that attention to myself," Redwing said, they were at the train station waiting for the train to get there.

"Oh, the train's here!" Kaitlyn smiled and pushed herself away from Armstrong. She hopped for a few steps before she fell. She closed her eyes and braced to hit the ground but she felt a tug on the sleeve of her jacket and looked back.

"Don't want you falling on your face," Redwing smiled as he helped her balance, "Come on."

"Thanks," Kaitlyn smiled and blushed slightly as she balanced against Redwing's shoulder. Once the reached the train Armstrong picked Kaitlyn up and climbed aboard, Redwing followed close behind holding his suitcase and Kaitlyn's backpack. He had insisted on carrying it for her so it wouldn't set her off balance more. "I'm good now Armstrong, I can use the seats for support." Kaitlyn smiled as she leaned most of her weight against the edge of the seats. They found an empty section and Kaitlyn fell on the seat, sliding over to make room for Redwing and pressing her back against the seat to give Armstrong room to climb into the seat across.

"It'll be a good few hours before we reach Resembool, you can rest a little if you want Kaitlyn," Redwing smiled, "I'll wake you up once we arrive."

"Thanks," Kaitlyn yawned, they had woken up at four that morning to get ready, early morning mist still covered the air around Central.

Armstrong left to go to another train car that had more space than the tiny cramped car they were in.

_I wonder if Bengalensis was telling the truth when he said I had a few more years? _Redwing thought, part of him desperately wanted to live, a hard survival instinct that was near impossible to suppress, and the other part of him really didn't seem to care, what did it matter how long someone was alive, everyone died, some quicker than others. The calm part of him almost seemed relieved to know _how _and _when_ he would die, but the other part of him didn't seem half that calm. He glanced at Kaitlyn, probably the only person anywhere who would worry if he told her the truth, that the bird he had been combined with as a baby would kill him. Kaitlyn was the only person who would do something. _Roy would watch me die with that smug grin, Riza wouldn't know what to do, and there's no one else. But Kaitlyn, if she knew, she'd risk her own life to stop it, I bet, _Redwing thought as he looked out the window at the passing, misty landscape. He had never been one to think too deeply about anything, but lately he couldn't stop thinking.

* * *

"Greed, I'm tired, can we stop?" Jera yawned, Sloth and her were lagging behind Greed, Bengalensis, and Hosa, the odd homunculus Greed had helped.

"Okay," Greed shrugged, they were walking along a river edge, and were currently in the middle of a sheep field.

Bengalensis sat on the ground by the river and yawned loudly before saying, "Man, I'm tired."

"Oh, Bengal, could you keep watch for us please? We don't want to be found by anyone while we rest," Greed smiled, her eyes cold and annoyed.

"Can't you or Hosa do it? Neither of you _need _sleep," Bengal pointed out irritably.

"You don't need much sleep, your a chimera! And besides, it's hurtful to say that I don't _need_ sleep!" Greed growled, laying on the cold river shore and turning away from Bengalensis.

"Stop arguing, guys," Sloth muttered irritably as he glared at them.

"Maybe if Bengal weren't so stubborn then we might all be asleep right now," Greed pouted.

"I wouldn't be," Bengalensis growled.

"Hey Greed, where are we going, anyway?" Jera asked, trying to change the subject.

"Resembool, we're meeting up with Envy and we're gonna kill that stupid mechanic and Redwing, maybe even Armstrong. But we're also going to recapture Kaitlyn," Greed said.

"Can I kill Redwing?" Sloth asked.

"Don't see why not," Greed shrugged, "Though I don't want to have to save you, so let yourself die if you can't kill him."

"Maybe I'll just fight Winry," Sloth shrank away.

* * *

Mustang was sitting at his desk, doing his forgotten-until-the-day-they-had-to-be-sighned papers. The office was in chaos, due to the fact it was Hawkeye's day off and she wasn't there to keep the order. Fuery had brought a puppy he had found but couldn't keep and it was running around, chasing Breda. Havoc was sitting in the corner, depressed after being dumped again. Falman was trying to keep up with the papers Mustang had forgotten, and Mustang was writing so fast some might be surprised that the paper hadn't burst into flames. Mustang looked relatively miserable, like he was getting sick. And maybe if Hawkeye or Kaitlyn had been there to tell him to go home and sleep, things might have turned out better for everyone.

* * *

"Kaitlyn, we're at the Resembool station," Redwing said as he got Kaitlyn's backpack and woke her up.

"Already?" Kaitlyn yawned.

"Yep, lets go," Redwing said as he helped Kaitlyn off the train and onto the platform. They waited for Armstrong before the set off for the Rockbell Automail Shop. Envy followed far behind them, he had snuck onto the train at Central. Once they got to the automail shop Kaitlyn leaned against the wall and knocked on the door.

"Maybe they're not here?" Kaitlyn murmured after no one answered for a few minutes. She knocked again, there was still no response.

"Whoa!" A blur of dark gold was thrown from the top window. Jera stood, brushing broken glass off of her shoulders.

"You all right?" Sloth looked out the window.

"I'm fine!" Jera smiled and ran back to the front door, not even noticing Kaitlyn or Redwing, Armstrong had already rushed inside.

"I have a feeling Greed and her gang are gonna have a real bad headache later," Kaitlyn said as she heard Bengalensis cursing at the top of his lungs. When they all heard Winry scream Kaitlyn hopped inside one her one good leg.

"Dang it!" Redwing shouted from outside, where Sloth had just dropped down from the top story window with a gun.

"Ow! Ow! OW!" Bengalensis ran down the hall in chimera form, yowling in pain as he was heated with a wrench.

"Not getting away that easy," Kaitlyn said and grabbed him by the scruff, leaning on the wall to support herself.

"Please let me go, I'll never hunt you down, just release me!" Bengalensis begged as Winry caught up.

"Thank you, Kaitlyn," Winry smiled and beat Bengalensis with a wrench.

"Greed, help!" Bengal cried.

"Busy with my own problems!" Greed grunted as she was knocked into the hallway through an open door. She scrambled away as Armstrong followed, occasionally sending chunks of wood from the floor at her.

"Ah! Stupid fox," Kaitlyn growled as Bengalensis bit her hand and she dropped him.

"Kaitlyn, I need a little help," Redwing called from the porch where he was fighting Sloth and Jera.

"I'll fight the stupid cat if you take on Sloth," Kaitlyn said as she wobbled onto the porch.

"Deal," Redwing nodded and ran around Sloth before kicking him hard in the back.

"Cats aren't stupid, we're just stubborn," Jera growled, suddenly an animal chimera that was a mix of an alligator and a canine of some sort hurled itself at Kaitlyn.

"Ow!" Kaitlyn yelped as she was knocked down the stairs of the porch and pinned under the chimera's weight.

There was a fierce hissing and the chimera was knocked off of Kaitlyn. Rubaina had pinned it down and was snapping at it's neck.

"Where the heck did Rubaina come from?" Kaitlyn thought aloud as she stood and faced Jera.

"Am I late to the fight?" Envy, disguised as Greed, asked Jera.

"Nope!" Jera smiled.

"Great, now we're out numbered again," Redwing sighed.

"Pay attention to the fight or you'll get hurt," Sloth warned as he fired at Redwing's head.

Redwing ducked under it and jumped high, landing next to Sloth and kicking his legs out from under him, "Don't annoy me or you'll get hurt."

"Why... are you... going after... the opponent with... one leg... as a team?" Kaitlyn panted as she scrambled away from Jera and "Greed."

"_Greed_ can we just go get Hosa?" Jera asked.

"Don't ask me!" "Greed" snapped.

"Fine, I'll be right back, hold them off as long as you can," Jera said before running off, her braids trailing behind her as she rounded the corner of the house.

"Where's she going?" Sloth yelled over Redwing shoulder, Sloth was currently stuck to the ground by rocks transmuted around his hands.

"To find Hosa," "Greed" responded.

"Rubaina, help!" Kaitlyn said as she tripped. Rubaina looked up from where he was laying and chewing on the leg of the dead animal chimera, and with a deep purr he stood and charged "Greed."

"Watch out!" Redwing shouted to Kaitlyn as he saw a small pack of wolf cat animal chimeras running in from the other direction.

"Why does this keep happening?" Kaitlyn sighed as she transmuted a platform for herself.

"Can't let our Philosopher's Stone get away, now can we?" Hosa panted as she appeared behind Kaitlyn.

"What the heck?!" Kaitlyn jumped and accidentally fell off of the platform. "OW!" She cried as she was attacked by the half wild chimeras waiting below.

"Leave her, attack the boy!" Jera growled impatiently to the small pack of chimeras.

"K, look on the bright side, at least you haven't just had a pack of hungry wolf cat chimeras sent after you," Redwing smiled sarcastically as he transmuted a block of wood away from the rest of the house and scrambled up.

"Retreat!" A loud call rang from the rive bank and Hosa, Sloth, Jera, and "Greed" scrambled off, followed by the pack of chimeras.

"Are you alright?" Redwing asked, still hesitating to come down from his safe perch.

"Fine," Kaitlyn said as she leaned against the wall.

"Did one of those chimeras bite you? Your arm is bleeding," Redwing asked.

"Yeah, took a good chunk out of my arm," Kaitlyn said as she studied the deep wound on her left arm.

"Are you two okay?" Winry asked once she had run around from the back of the house.

"Yep, we're fine," Kaitlyn smiled.

_Why is my heart still going so fast? Why can't I settle down? _Redwing thought as his heart continued to race and his breathing didn't slow. Again the pain stunned him, and he lost his balance on the small perch of wood on the side of the house.

"Redwing, are you alright?" Kaitlyn asked as he rubbed his head, he had fallen a pretty good distance and landed on the side of his face.

"I'm fine," He groaned as he stood up, rubbing the side of his face. "I just lost my balance a little." He added upon seeing Kaitlyn's doubtful glance.

"Whatever you say," Kaitlyn shrugged and walked along the wall into the house.

* * *

A/N: Hello readers! How did you like this chapter? I'll be writing a fun chapter in a few chapters, it's about if Kaitlyn, Redwing, Greed, Jera, Sloth, Bengal, and Hosa were changed into dogs, cats, or foxes. Warning, you will laugh until your lungs hurt if it works out how I hope.


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